The Vampire's Mark 3: Cold Heir (Reverse Harem Romance)

by Rachel Jonas

  In more ways than one.

  My goal was to keep things in perspective, keep my focus on how the empress’ return affected Julian, but it was impossible not to wonder how it would affect me as well. The woman and I had never crossed one another’s path’s, so I wasn’t sure what to expect beyond what Glenn shared with us. It was made clear that they kept their personal lives out of their conversation, leaving me with the impression she was cold, someone with whom it was difficult to establish a connection.

  My track record with meeting new Ianites wasn’t great. Needless to say, I didn’t hold high hopes for this one either.

  When the conversation fell flat there, I glanced over my shoulder toward Levi, questioning him with the look I gave. Reading my body language, and the expression I wore, he shook his head discreetly.

  Does he not intend to share what Glenn revealed to us? That his daughter had been there to visit him during her time away?

  Levi seemed dead-set against it, and I realized that this was, perhaps, another indication that he didn’t put much stock in the old man. Honestly, though, I wondered if there wasn’t more to it than that.

  When the silence crept in and didn’t show signs of leaving us, I leaned into the headrest, deciding to nap the rest of the way. Dozing wasn’t difficult, thanks to Levi seeing to it that I hadn’t gotten much rest the night before. However, I was admittedly reluctant to find out what my subconscious had in store once sleep finally beckoned for me. It seemed that, whenever I closed my eyes, Aaric was there waiting, holding my dreams hostage.

  Unfortunately, I was right about seeing him. In the vision that came, I was back at Blackthorn, in Aaric’s lair where we dined that fateful night. He started off in the shadows, just like before, but eventually showed himself, emerging slowly as candlelight bathed his face, and his bare chest. Once he came close enough to touch me, I held my breath. It seemed his features were easier to recall when I was asleep, but that was likely only because I worked so hard to forget them while awake.

  Devastatingly handsome … that’s what I thought of him. The cool-metal centers of his eyes were fixed on me, and I’d never felt more aware of wanting something that was bad for me in my life. The rims of his nostrils flared as he scanned my face, settling his stare on my lips.

  His hand went to my cheek and I hated how the urge to pull away from him was absent. Actually, I leaned into the softness of his palm, breathing steadier now when I caved. There was still a sense of him being just as ruthless and terrible as always, but in these dreams, he wasn’t just any monster. No, my prevailing thought was that the man standing before me was … my monster.

  His lips parted and I waited on pins and needles to hear what he’d say. Every time my heart leapt with excitement, I despised myself a little more than the moment before. This hold he had on me—which may have been a hold we had on each other—was hard to accept. However, with what I felt for Julian and Levi, I knew it would only intensify.

  Words still hadn’t left his mouth, but his forehead pressed to mine, and I shuddered when the hand not holding my cheek gripped the back of my neck with passionate intensity. We were face-to-face, eye-to-eye, and I felt the same longing that plagued me since I’d been bitten.

  Only, it was more powerful now.

  “I’m coming for you…”

  The haze of the dream burned away like a heavy fog when that clear statement, and the intent behind it, cut through my subconscious. Awaking with a gasp, it took a moment to get my bearings. The fact that I was still seated in Julian’s car took a moment to settle in, as did the fact that I was still holding his hand. The contradictions between the dream and reality were jarring to my senses. Mostly because the dream felt so real.

  Aaric’s promise felt so real.

  It didn’t help that his accent was identical to Levi’s, only raspier, so the familiarity of it was oddly comforting. But that would never be. I’d never be comfortable with the idea of that tyrant.

  “Are you okay?”

  There was no missing the concern in Julian’s tone when he asked.

  Feeling like my heart was suddenly in my throat, I nodded. “It was just a bad dream,” I lied. It was much more than that.

  He studied my face a moment before turning back to the road. I looked away as well, keeping my eyes trained on the scenery outside. While it felt like I’d only been out a few minutes, the absence of sunlight and brightly glowing moon above suggested otherwise. Glancing down to the clock, I calculated that we should be arriving back in the Capitol soon.

  My breathing finally slowed, and I relaxed in my seat again. For the first time, I actually looked forward to the day I’d be like them. Ianites didn’t need sleep, which meant I wouldn’t have to deal with these invasive dreams anymore. Once that was the case, and once Aaric was no longer a factor, I’d no longer feel like this.

  On edge.

  Vulnerable.

  Within fifteen minutes, the glittering lights of the city came into view, and I never thought I’d be so happy about that. Once, this had been the last place I wanted to be, now, it was one of the few places I felt remotely safe. My plan was to take a day or two to regroup, assess the details of my last escape, and figure out something else.

  My eyes slammed shut with a vague memory, a promise made to Levi in the throes of passion. The vow stated that I wouldn’t sneak off again without telling him, but … how could I honor that? My head hadn’t been clear, considering, and I couldn’t abandon my team simply because I’d screwed up and caught these unruly feelings.

  And unruly they were.

  There was no way I could get away with what I needed to do, with the princes aware of my plan, so I’d have to think of something. Something would have to give, and I had a feeling that, in the end, it would be Levi’s trust.

  Above, a skytrain whizzed past at an impossible speed, and I marveled at it like the few other times I’d seen one. This, like so many of their structural feats, never ceased to amaze me. The thought of all the Ianites had accomplished in the field of technology led me to think of Elle, but this wasn’t the first time she crossed my mind.

  The moment I climbed into Julian’s car and wasn’t greeted by her chipper voice, I was acutely aware of her absence. It seemed out of character for her not to be here, but then again … I had a feeling she’d taken quite a bit of flack for helping me. In a way, I was afraid to ask.

  Traffic thinned and the bright lights of the city were behind us as we neared the palace. The moment I spotted the broad, shimmering gate that surrounded it, I breathed deep, remembering how hard I fought to break free that night. It wasn’t likely that I’d be allowed a second shot, but my mind was already made up to try. I had to. For Felix, Banks, Shay, Liv. For all of them. For the mission.

  “Ready for your surprise?” Julian asked, glancing toward me with a smile as we drove the winding path, lined with fiery lanterns that reminded me of arriving the first day.

  There wasn’t even a small part of me that felt excited about this. No dress or trinket existed that would make this moment more sweet than bitter, but again, I played pretend.

  “Sure,” I answered with a smile that paled in comparison to his.

  A lighthearted laugh left his mouth when he seemed to sense my lack of enthusiasm, and the sound of it confused me a bit. He wasn’t offended that I wasn’t looking forward to it, which I admit made me a bit more curious.

  We came to a stop in front of his large home situated roughly a mile from the one his parents occupied. Acknowledging them, I briefly thought of what Glenn had shared during our visit—that the queen herself had been by to spend a few days with him. It was, apparently, her little secret, one I wouldn’t reveal to Julian.

  The sound of three of the car doors springing open prompted me to peer up instantly. My instinct was to reach for the handle to join them, but a firm, “Allow me,” from Silas made me halt.

  My gaze rose to meet his as he approached, forcing my thoughts to skim down the long list o
f sacrifices he’d made on my behalf. When I did, my stupid heart did the strangest thing.

  It fluttered.

  A gentle smile graced his lips as he freed me from the car we’d been trapped inside all these hours. To my surprise it was warm. He was … I don’t know … different from the others. In ways I hadn’t quite figured out yet, but I was certain I’d get it once our bond had been sealed, and I’d likely comprehend it even deeper after the Claiming ceremony.

  He didn’t release me like I expected. Instead, after slamming the door shut behind us, he interlocked our fingers.

  Yes … Silas was different indeed.

  The four of us approached the entrance to Julian’s home, and I sensed his and Silas’ excitement. Whatever surprise they prepared, they were clearly hopeful about my reaction.

  Before Julian could turn the knob, it was snatched from his grasp, and light from inside flooded the entrance. Within its glow, the biggest smile I’d seen in forever greeted me.

  “Mistress, Corina!” Elle beamed, embracing me so tightly I was aware for the first time since meeting her, that she was manmade. Nothing natural could possibly have a grip that powerful.

  It felt strange. The overwhelming sense of relief I felt, realizing she hadn’t taken the brunt of the uproar I caused that night, was startling. I thought that, in the very least, her programming might have been tweaked, but from what I could tell, she was still the same old Elle.

  Chipper, and inconceivably happy.

  My friend.

  Smiling as we held one another, I squeezed her right back. She’d proven something to me that night, something I never would have considered otherwise. She showed me that humanity didn’t always refer to a species. Elle was more human at heart than almost anyone else I knew.

  She released me and that sparkle in her eyes was still there when she turned to Julian.

  “Have you told her yet?”

  “Not yet. Silas and I thought it’d be best not to.” He turned to me, and I was definitely more interested now than before. “Elle’s prepared you a bath. One of us will bring your bag up and—”

  “Well, what’s the surprise?” I interjected, which made Julian smile again.

  “Bathe, relax,” he ordered with a sweet command, ignoring my question. “By the time you return, everything will be set up.”

  I wasn’t sure what ‘set up’ meant, but I did smell something cooking in the kitchen. So, maybe that was it, the staff had prepared a feast.

  After what I’d done, though, I wasn’t certain they wouldn’t poison it.

  “Okay,” I agreed with another fake smile plastered on my face, and then reached for my bag. However, Silas beat me to it.

  He led the way toward the steps, and I was all too aware of his stare. When we made it to the top, I stole a look just as he eased the bag Glenn packed for me off his shoulder, down his toned arm. I lifted my gaze to meet his and he smiled.

  “Thank you.” I barely managed to get the words out with how intently I watched him. He made me feel shy and unsure of myself, despite something in his gaze telling me I had nothing to worry about anymore.

  “You’re welcome. I can set it inside if you’d like.”

  My eyes closed for a moment when I shook my head, realizing he didn’t understand.

  “No, not just for this,” I expressed. “For everything you and Julian did to find us. I don’t know all the details, but … I can imagine.”

  Yes, I’d already shared my appreciation when he showed up at Glenn’s, but it simply overwhelmed me. All he’d done, with no bond between us, urging him ahead, moved me. He seemed to understand when he dipped his chin with another nod.

  “Corina, you don’t owe us any thanks,” he insisted. “We’re sort of a family here now, and that’s what families do, right? Fight for one another no matter what?”

  When he said those words, I blinked with disbelief at how they hit home in so many ways, but they did.

  “Yeah,” I confirmed, holding him in my gaze as his kind nature overwhelmed me. “You’re right. That’s exactly what families do.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Corina

  Neither a fresh change of clothes, nor finally being able to do something decent with my hair, made the needle move on my mood.

  Mostly because being back here, settling in, emphasized how hard I failed.

  I shouldn’t have been back in this suite. My place was back with my team, helping them in whatever way I could, because that was the only thing I’d ever put energy into that mattered.

  There was no noise coming from downstairs, but I knew the princes were waiting. However, I still hadn’t quite caught my breath. So many things overwhelmed me—the full weight of my thwarted plan, missing my team, the feeling of somehow belonging here despite knowing that wasn’t so. It was inconceivable how that could ever be possible, but it was, and sitting here sulking wasn’t going to change a thing.

  The hallway was well lit when I finally stepped out, taking the stairs slowly as the aroma of whatever had been prepared filled the entire house. On cue, my stomach growled with the ferocity of an entire pride of lions. It had been weeks since I had a good meal, but then again, good meals were only a recent luxury for me anyway.

  My bare feet padded against the tile floor as I crossed through the foyer, to the corridor that led to the dining room. When I did, a single, lighthearted laugh made me pause in my tracks, because it was so familiar. Soft, feminine. It could have very well been Elle, but … a crazy thought passed through my head, and despite knowing it was completely irrational, my heart skipped a beat.

  “Liv?” I whispered her name as hope crept into me fiercely.

  Moving faster, I braced a hand against the wall as I made my way closer.

  Don’t hope, Cori. What you’re thinking is impossible. Don’t. Hope.

  Just shy of the doorway, I stopped and breathed deep, listening to Silas speak. He was telling a story, something embarrassing about a ski trip he’d taken with the other princes. A story they would have already been familiar with, which made me wonder who he was sharing it with now.

  I did it. I stepped into the doorway with all that hope bottled up, preparing my heart for disappointment. Only, I discovered the next second that wasn’t necessary.

  Because they were here. All of them. They were my surprise.

  My team.

  The room went silent as I stood there. Words wouldn’t come to my lips either. I don’t think I’d fully accepted that this was real—everyone I cared about in this world seated at one table, getting along, smiling.

  Several chairs scooted across the floor at once, and I was rushed by too many people to count. Right after, I was mobbed with hugs that only perpetuated my speechlessness, fueled the frantic tears that rolled down my cheeks like a waterfall.

  It couldn’t be real.

  “Bet you didn’t think you’d ever see this handsome face again,” Felix said, leaning away to flash a huge grin at me.

  Realizing my mouth had been agape since first laying eyes on them, I finally closed it.

  “How are … how are any of you here? I don’t …”

  After stammering another incoherent sentence, I shut up, staring at them through watery vision.

  There was no way to describe what I felt. To have been filled with so much despair for having failed them, so much fear I’d never look any of them in the eyes again …

  “I need to sit,” I breathed, bringing a laugh out of most of the room.

  Finally starting to accept that I hadn’t dreamt them all, I glanced around again.

  “To answer your question,” Liv chimed in, “We’re here because, well, things have changed a bit since you’ve been gone.”

  Realizing I’d broken a sweat, I pushed a hand through my hair. “I’ll say.”

  Shay placed a hand on my shoulder, and I peered up at her then, all of them. I’d never seen them looking healthier. There was color in their cheeks, cheeks that weren’t quite as hollow as I
remembered. And there was a lightheartedness about them that I’d never seen. As if the weight of the world wasn’t quite as heavy on their shoulders.

  “Silas and Julian have been helping us out quite a bit,” Jonesy chimed in then, answering my silent question.

  “Food, resources,” Banks added, shifting his gaze toward both princes.

  My heart raced and my inclination to protect those who’d been like siblings to me kicked into gear. I wondered how much they shared, wondered who else knew they’d been in communication with Ianites. Prominent Ianites at that. If news got out and spread throughout our network, it could greatly compromise the work we did.

  Hence the reason I, myself, didn’t expect to be accepted back into the fold by those with whom we once associated.

  Liv—who hadn’t taken her eyes off me once—seemed to sense the shift in my mood.

  “Why don’t we go somewhere and talk a sec,” she suggested, coaching me out of the seat I’d taken.

  Following when she took my hand, I nodded. We only made it as far as the corridor before I stopped her.

  “What’s going on?” The tone of my voice hinted at the anxiety that crept in unexpectedly.

  Liv peered up through bangs that had grown out a bit since I’d last seen her.

  “They reached out to us,” she shared. “When you went missing, they were desperate to find you, and Julian came across your com.”

  My back fell against the wall, realizing how I could have endangered them by not double-checking that I had all my things before escaping that night.

  “At first, we were super skeptical, as you can imagine. We took every precaution possible when we first agreed to meet them, including going to the site early so Banks and Shay could get in place to snipe them if it came down to it. Only, we didn’t need weapons. Eventually, their feelings for you showed through, which came as a shock,” she added with a chuckle. “Who knew bloodsuckers could have hearts, ya know?” she whispered.