Turning to face her, Tristan scowled heavily. “I didn’t take Victoria for a wife just to irk you,” he shouted. “I don’t care for your opinion on my love life in any case. I have every right to choose whomever I want. And I chose her.”
The entire room fell silent as Tristan and Madelia tried to get their points across, each shouting and glaring at the other with so much intensity there was no room for others to intervene.
“What were you thinking?” Madelia’s blue eyes targeted Tristan. “Did you not consider the dangers that would come of this joining?”
“I don’t give a damn. I love Victoria and she loves me. That’s all that matters to me.”
“That love will cost you both.” Madelia wanted to get her point across and no matter what Tristan said, she was determined to say what she truly thought of their relationship. “When others out there find out about this you can be assured they will hunt you both down. Do you really want to pay that price?”
Tristan tensed. Deep down, he knew Madelia was right. Others would find out soon enough and they would come looking for them both, but right then he didn’t care. He only wanted to get Victoria back. Whatever came later they could handle as long as they were together. “I will pay any price in order to be with the woman I love. It shouldn’t be anyone’s business who I take to my bed, anyway,” he announced. “If anyone else in this room has a problem with me taking a werewolf as a mate, say something now. I’m sure we can resolve this one way or another.”
Tristan’s eyes scanned the room, looking for anyone, aside from Madelia, that visibly had a problem with who he had taken for a wife, but no one stepped forward.
“He has a point,” Ademar added. “As much as we elders like to control those younger than us they always do as they wish, anyway.”
“I half expected that you of all people would understand my plea, Ademar.” Tristan addressed the one vampire, aside from himself, who had broken all the rules once. Ademar had fallen in love with a human woman not long after he was turned into a vampire. Unfortunately for them both their love affair had not ended well. But Tristan didn’t want to lose Victoria and he was willing to cross whatever line he had to in order to have her back.
“Because I went through what you’re going through now, I know that this will not end well―” Ademar started but was swiftly interrupted by Tristan.
“You don’t know that,” he snapped.
Ademar raised his hand to signal Tristan to remain silent. “Please, allow me to finish.”
Although hesitant, Tristan allowed the elder to continue.
“However, it is not my place to choose your mate for you. I know all too well what you’re going through and I agree that each one of us has a right to choose a mate. Werewolves are mythological creatures as well. This problem that you bring to us today is indeed a great one. By all rights we don’t have to get involved but…”
Tristan raised his gaze to meet those of Ademar.
“You saved my life once, Garland, and I never forget when I am in debt with a fellow vampire. Therefore, I will allow for our guards to accompany you on this quest.”
Tristan let out a breath of relief.
“I will go with you as well as Joseph and Catharina,” the boy called Elliott announced.
Tristan expected Madelia to protest, since Catharina, Joseph, and Elliott were part of her coven, but she did not.
“I will be eternally grateful to all three of you,” he said.
“Let it be known that this is the first and last time we interfere in a matter such as this. We take special consideration for you tonight, Tristan, because you are one of our best enforcers and in the past you have saved us from serious peril. We do not approve of your match, but we won’t hold it against you. However, you should be fully aware of what this bond will mean for you both. Not everyone will take this matter as lightly as we have and there will come a time when they will fight to destroy what you have,” Ademar said. “You do understand that when the rest of the elders find out, they will hold you responsible for any warring that comes of this.”
“Ademar, my friend, trust when I say that we are aware of the consequences, but neither of us cares,” Tristan replied with confidence. “I am, however, worried about you. By helping me the elders will take offense at what you’ve done.”
“Let me worry about that.” Ademar stood, gesturing to the others to follow. “Let’s take our leave. We’re running out of time as it is.”
Tristan blanched. “I’ll kill them all if they hurt her.”
“I’m coming, too,” Madelia announced, surprising everyone else in the room.
Somewhat shocked, Tristan turned to look at her. “What? Why?”
Madelia shrugged. “Because I figured that if you’re willing to risk your neck for this woman, I might as well meet her before I decide to hate her.”
He fought the urge to roll his eyes at her. “Madelia, things between us—”
She raised her hands and shook her head. “That’s hardly important right now.”
“Okay.” Tristan started for the mansion’s front entrance. “You’re right.”
“With these helpers and your friends, we should do well,” Ademar pointed out as they exited the house together.
“We’re still outnumbered,” Tristan pointed out, the army of powerful vampires following closely behind Ademar and him.
“That’s true, but we have many weapons they do not.”
“I only hope we still have enough time,” Tristan said.
“We have time. Not much, but enough to make it there.” Ademar spared a glance in his direction and said, “By the end of tonight they will have to give her up or we’ll force them to.”
Moments later, the special ops team marched out the doors and headed to the Bonvalet mansion.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Victoria put up a fight when her father had her dragged out into the yard after she refused to go quietly. Two betas she had grown up with had sustained serious injuries due to her claws and canines. That afternoon she had warned her father she wouldn’t do what was required of her and she meant it. There was no way she was going to be mutilated by the mark of her mate-to-be. She already had a mate and she already carried his mark deep within her heart, she needed no other.
As the two betas were called in to take her out into the yard where the Mark of Honor ceremony was going to take place, she fought like a wildcat, slashing, biting, kicking, doing everything within her power to stall as much as possible. She was strong and she fought bravely, but she was no match for the strength of two fully grown males. The poor wolves however, had been left with bleeding wounds and bruised egos. Unfortunately for her, three more Trackers were brought in to help the two betas overpower her and a minute later she was shoved into the yard where more than half the pack members from both the Bonvalet and the DeWitt packs waited in silence.
Victoria knew her time was running out, after the Mark of Honor was singed on her neck Armando would take her into her bedroom and mate with her. The problem was, she was already mated, and if Armando tried copulating with her while the bond remained intact, the beast within her would lash out, in a bad way. And if she killed Armando, she would be put to death also and not even the fact that her father was the alpha would save her. At the same time, if she revealed to her father that she was already mated, he would seek Tristan out until one of them was dead. As much as she hated her father for what he was doing to her, she didn’t want him dead, and she had already decided she didn’t want to live without Tristan.
She was in so deep she couldn’t even begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. For the majority of the day she had hoped that Tristan would show up in time to stop this madness. But so far he was a no-show and being that his life would be in danger the second he set foot inside the Bonvalet territory, there was no way she wanted him to show up, anyway.
What to do? What to do?
She scanned the yard, her eyes stumbling upon Tyrone,
Sasha, and even her mother’s forms, standing perfectly still as they waited for the ceremony to begin. From where she waited, Victoria could see the heavy emotion in her adoptive parents’ eyes and her heart sank. They didn’t want this for her, but they had no power to stop what was happening.
“You better think of something,” Danero whispered as he shackled her wrists to the ground, redirecting her attention from those around her. “You’re running out of time.”
From the very first moment he laid eyes on her, Danero had known she had mated to someone while she was away. The fact that the rest of the pack hadn’t noticed surprised Victoria. But somehow, she suspected most of them knew, since a female werewolf, when mated, gave out this weird vibe that allowed others to detect she was already taken. Perhaps her father had noticed as well and chosen to ignore it. But Danero had seen, and he knew who her mate was and chose to keep it to himself.
“I’m thinking. I’m thinking!” What else could she do to stall the inevitable as much as possible? “I’m not having much luck, though.”
“Think faster, damn it; they’re going to scar you for life.” His words came out as a harsh whisper.
“A little help would be nice,” she said.
He scowled. “What the hell am I supposed to do? Grab Tyrone and start dancing the Lambada?”
Victoria couldn’t help but chuckle at the image his words invoked. Though her current predicament was far from funny, she realized that she needed a laugh. She was far too scared to cry, so she laughed.
“That would be quite the sight.”
“I don’t love you that much, you know,” he hissed, easing a smile from her.
“It’s okay, Danero. I think it’s time I told my father the truth.”
“That’s not a good idea,” he insisted.
“What else is there? I’m dead either way.”
Danero was just as scared as she was. He was her best friend and he didn’t want any harm to befall her but there was not much he could do now, either. He’d already done enough, and by helping her out he was now under the alpha’s radar, too.
“I could tell your father I’m your mate.”
“Are you mad? He will kill you! NO! It’s time I confronted my father with the truth.” There was no way she would allow any harm to her friend. Or to anyone else, for that matter.
“What are you two up to?” Victor’s booming voice sliced through the silent yard. “Step away from my daughter, Danero.”
Danero gave a brief nod and sauntered hesitantly away.
Victoria watched as Armando and her father stepped forward, a hot rod with the DeWitt insignia engraved at the very end, held firmly in his hand. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. She couldn’t allow this to happen. There was no way she was going to live forever with that mark on her neck. It would be too humiliating. She could live with banishment if it came to that, but God! Not the mark.
“Father, there is something you must know.”
“Oh?” His eyebrows furrowed.
“The mating cannot take place.”
“Of course it can.” He began to approach her.
“No, it can’t.”
With a slight jerk of his head, he ordered two Trackers to come forth and force her to her knees before him. Panic began to rise like bile up her throat as he stood before her with the melting hot rod pointing toward her neck.
“I’m already mated,” she blurted out before he could poke her with the metal stick.
Victor was so startled by the news he nearly dropped the rod. “You lie,” he accused.
“I’m not lying.” Victoria fought to keep in a sigh of relief when he drew the rod away from her. “During the few days I was gone, I…mated.”
“That’s impossible! There are no other packs in this area.”
His voice was menacingly low and Victoria couldn’t help but cringe at the sound. She knew, even when he hadn’t said the words, that he was warning her to remain silent.
“My mate is not a werewolf,” she said.
“Human?” The look in her eyes was enough to make her quail.
She could sense the panic in his voice. He knew, even before she said it, that her mate was not human, either. And judging by the dangerous glint in his eyes, she realized that much like Danero, Victor already knew who her mate was.
“No. He’s not human.”
Having no choice but to question her, since she had verbally announced her mating, Victor demanded, “Explain yourself,” he roared.
“My mate is a vampire.” She raised her chin up high, refusing to be embarrassed by her choice of mate. “I chose him—”
“You chose a vampire over me!” Armando rushed forward, his hand held up high as if he planned to strike her, but Danero quickly stepped in front of her, preventing the man from hitting her.
“If I were you, I would keep your hands off of her,” Danero warned.
“You betraying bastard! I ought to—”
“You touch her and you’re dead!” A voice, so heavenly familiar to her, stopped Armando dead in his tracks. Fear and relief rushed through her body, rattling and unknotting her already frantic nerves. When Victoria turned her head to her right, her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Tristan, standing beside a group of people she’d never seen before.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Tristan took in the scene unfolding before him with a mixture of relief and rage. Victoria was on her knees, forced to bow down to her father and would-be mate, panic threatening to choke the life out of her as she stared up at her next of kin. The fact that her cruel father would force something so demeaning on his own daughter both sickened and disgusted Tristan to the point where he could taste bile in his mouth.
He couldn’t explain how a father would treat their child in such a horrible way. He himself had known loving, nurturing, and caring parents, yet Victor only seemed to care about himself. Nothing else mattered to him.
“Who the hell do you think you are, marching in here like this?” Victor growled loudly, his fingers sprouting long claws at the sight of the vampires. “This is my territory, my property, and you are all trespassing.”
“I am here for my mate.” He pointed to Victoria. “And I’m not leaving until I get her back.”
Victor’s mouth dropped open in shock and shame. “So it’s true, then? You defiled my daughter?”
Tristan’s fury was an inch away from boiling over and only Ademar’s hand on his shoulder kept him from rushing over and forcing his fist down Victor’s throat.
“I defiled no one.” It took a man like Victor to take something as beautiful as what he’d experienced with Victoria and turn it into something ugly and shameful. “I love Victoria, which is why I honored her the best way a man can, I made her my mate.”
The confession forced a wave of murmurs throughout the yard. Members from both packs were in shock. No doubt, hearing a vampire profess his love for a werewolf girl was something unbelievable to them.
“I should kill you where you stand, you underground parasite!” Victor bellowed.
“You can try,” Tristan warned. “But I don’t want a fight. Victoria is rightfully my mate and all I want is to take her back.”
“She’s not going anywhere!” Victor stepped forward, the beast within just seconds away from exploding outward. “I would see her dead before I allow her to disgrace my good name any further!”
Tristan didn’t miss the look of hurt and humiliation in Victoria’s eyes as her father spoke with vehemence, the man practically spit venom. He cared nothing of her happiness, just that she play the role of good daughter and honor him like the rest of the pack did.
“I would advise you to calm yourself and think better of your actions, old man,” Ademar said. “I assure you, we came prepared for a fight.” He lifted one hand and thirty or so vampires, including Tristan, Madelia, Frank, Catharina, Joseph, and Elliott stepped forward. “We’re not leaving without Tristan’s mate.”
“You are
all fools!” Victor snapped. “You’re outnumbered.”
“Maybe we are, but we have weapons you do not.”
“Such as?”
Ademar nodded once and Tristan faded into nothingness. A second later, he reappeared next to Ademar, at the opposite side in which he had been standing just moments before.
The crowd gasped in surprise, the sound echoing around the yard.
“You are no fool, Victor; your army could bring several of us down but not all. And I assure you that most of us standing here before you have abilities that far surpass those of your kind. If you want to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, set her free.” Ademar pointed to Victoria. “And we will leave as quietly as we arrived.”
“Damn you all to hell!” Armando shouted. “No one is going anywhere! She’s mine!”
“I was never yours, Armando!” Victoria rose with the help of Danero, who took advantage of the two opposing teams’ ongoing argument to undo her shackles. “I agreed to come back home because I wanted to save Tristan.” She spared a glance in Tristan’s direction. “But the bigger truth here is that I am rightfully mated, and unless my mate is destroyed, then I am bonded to him. I do not belong to Armando. I am my own person and I should be allowed to decide what to do with my life.” Victoria forced her chin up. “And I believe I already did that.”
“You belong to our pack,” Victor argued. “You are my daughter, a werewolf, for God’s sake! How can you even think about leaving with him and worst yet…let…him touch you!”
“I have no shame for what I feel for Tristan.” Her tone was matter-of-fact. “He is my mate because we both wanted it that way.”
“As much as I hate to say it, Victoria is right.” A werewolf elder finally stepped forward. “We can discuss this issue back and forth for days, even weeks. But Victoria is mated, like it or not we have to accept that fact. She chose her mate. There is an undeniable bond between them and we cannot separate them and force her to be Armando’s mate because we all know what would happen if we did. So, I see another option here that has not been brought forth as of yet.”
Fierce Awakenings Page 25
