Whispered Bonds

by Tally Adams

  Even Emily sat regally at William's side, looking out across the group with the bearing of a queen. In the time she'd known Emily, she'd seen her in many moods. Nothing prepared her for the aura of authority and leadership she seemed to emit now.

  Paoli ushered her across the room to stand beside Emily's chair while he did likewise on William's side. She didn't understand it, but something told her it was significant. For once, it didn't bother her that he was deciding where she should be. Things felt different between them now. It didn't seem controlling anymore. Instead of being annoyed by his high-handedness, she took comfort from the rightness of it. Now, they felt like a team within the team.

  "Tomorrow we go before the Coven," William began. "And we need to make decisions amongst ourselves first. Yesterday, we learned it is possible for different immortals to work together harmoniously. If not for everyone coming together to our aid, most of us wouldn't be here now. There are no words to express my gratitude for that," he said, looking first at Michael, then to Jonathon; who gave the barest nod of acknowledgment. "The question is, what do we tell the committee tomorrow regarding recent events?"

  Empusa shifted in his spot; his injured leg extended on the small ottoman in the room, and looked at Jonathon expectantly, who gave a heavy sigh in response.

  "I'm willing to come to an agreement with the vampires in this territory, if they're willing to do the same," he offered, looking across the room at Michael. "We both share responsibility for our area," he went on, and no one in the room missed the significance of the our. It was an acknowledgement the vampires also had claim, and was a huge concession. Wolves tended to be very territorial. Allowing another species to claim the same land space was a major step toward coexisting.

  Michael regarded him, seemingly as surprised as anyone else in the room. "I think we're both rational men," he said. "And we can find a way to share the needs and responsibility for both of our people. It won't be easy or painless," he added. "Not with so many hard feelings on both sides. But, it can done if we're determined to see it through."

  "Your people earned my respect yesterday," Jonathon said sincerely, cutting his eyes from Michael to Sekhmet and finally to Paoli. "And that goes double for the women who decided to take a chance and bring everyone together with a common goal." Here, he paused and smiled slightly at Emily and Lyric. "I never thought I'd see the day when vampires and wolves fought side by side, but it's about damned time."

  A low murmur of agreement went around the room. Paoli glanced at Lyric. The smile he bestowed on her was a private and significant one; full of hope and optimism. She found herself responding in kind. If these two men could set aside their difference and learn to trust one another, maybe there was a chance of finding peace yet.

  "Do we all agree this area can enter into a treaty when we meet with the committee tomorrow?" Emily asked, her voice ringing through the room formally.

  Michael and Jonathon looked at one another. Both gave slow nods of agreement. Jonathon returned his attention to Emily; his back straight and his shoulders rigid in a pose as formal as Emily's voice. "We do," he said.

  "Then it is done. Together as allies, we will move into the future," Emily announced.

  "What has happened here may well become the thing of legend," Paoli told the room. "We should all be proud of this first step."

  Jonathon gave a curt nod and left the room, followed closely by Michael. The door clicked behind them and silence filled the room for a heartbeat.

  Then Empusa's voice broke the silence with a return of his usual manner. "Damn, you guys are good!" he announced enthusiastically, breaking the formal atmosphere.

  Emily seemed to almost deflate back to normal and grinned. "Not bad, huh?"

  "You were awesome," Paoli agreed, crossing the room to flop down on the bed. He propped his head up on his arms to see everyone and asked, "Do you think this will really work?"

  "I think it will be a long road," Sekhmet answered. "But it can be done."

  "It has to be done if we have any hope of survival," William said. "I think they both see that now."

  "What happens next?" Lyric wanted to know.

  "Next we go before the committee and see what they have to say about all of this," Paoli said.

  "Is it something to worry about?" she asked, thinking she wasn't all that keen on the idea of going into the heart of the immortal government; human that she was. Their recent experience at the nest certainly hadn't made her any more comfortable around strange immortals, and the sudden silence in the room wasn't helping her nerves.

  "It shouldn't be," Empusa spoke up at last.

  "Shouldn't be?" she asked dryly. "See, now that really doesn't help me feel any better."

  "Anytime someone goes to the Coven, it can go a number of different ways," Paoli said. "But we bring good news this time. And what could be the start of peace. They won't want to disrupt that."

  Still not completely reassured, Lyric pursed her lips at him. "And if they decide I'd make a tasty snack?"

  Paoli gave a nonchalant shrug. "Then our pack-"

  "Flock," Emily interrupted automatically, which earned her an aggravated huff from Empusa, who looked less than intimidating with his leg propped on pillows in front of him.

  "Will break any and all peace we've started by slaying anyone who tries to hurt you," Paoli continued as though there'd been no interruption.

  Lyric scanned the room, waiting to see if anyone was going to contradict that statement. When no one did, she relaxed. A little. The idea was still scary, but knowing she had the pack—or flock—at her back; ready and willing to do whatever it took to insure her safety, was comforting.

  Paoli winked at her from his spot on the bed, which made her want to smile in return. She managed to smother the impulse because all eyes were on her. She didn't want to be standing there with a stupid, girlish smile on her face, but it took effort. Instead, she just looked at him, marveling at the perfection of his body; the soul-reaching blue of his eyes, and the fact he was her very own for as long as they both lived; whether a day or, as Paoli had said, another thousand years. They were surrounded by others who were bound together almost as tightly, preparing to set off on yet another adventure.

  It was amazing how fast a person's life could change.

  Keep Reading For a Sneak Peek at Book 3 of the Immortal Romance Series. Make sure to leave an Amazon review and check out my website at www.tallyadams.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive exclusive short prequels as they are written

  Slay My Heart

  Chapter One

  Sekhmet slid through the shadows, his vigilant green eyes scanning the crowded nightclub. The Cajun Spice Lounge was one of the most popular clubs in Louisiana. Night after night, it was filled to capacity with people trying to lose themselves in the music and liquor. Tonight was no exception. Bodies in various stages of undress pressed against one another on the dancefloor, or in darkened corners if dancing was no longer on their mind.

  It was the same tired scene that played out in a thousand other towns, with one exception. The Cajun Spice Lounge was peppered with vampires, hunting an easy meal. There was no easier prey than drunken humans in a dark environment; it was the perfect hunting ground.

  Sekhmet, himself, had enjoyed the ease of hunting while he'd been in the area. Tonight, however, he was here on a mission. Somewhere in this mass of writhing and gyrating bodies was a woman who was hunting him, and he wanted to know why.

  He glanced at his phone and recalled the message the bartender had sent him. Pretty blonde, green sweater and jeans, it said. With a sigh, he returned the phone to his pocket and continued to move through the shadows along the wall, searching the room once again. It hadn't been more than half an hour since he'd received the message saying she was here. Surely she hadn't left already. With the patience borne from centuries of experience, he slowly quartered the room with his eyes, looking at every face, searching for the one person who was tracking him.

 
Strobe lights overhead kept the energy level high and made the people seem to blend together in a sea of movement. Eventually, he gave up trying to spot her from afar and decided to sit at the bar and wait. She was looking for him, after all. Maybe making himself easy to spot was the more prudent approach, since he wouldn't recognize her if he saw her. Pretty blonde wasn't exactly a detailed description, after all.

  He settled onto a stool and gave a nod of acknowledgement to the bartender, who returned it and sat a glass full of dark liquid in front of him. Sekhmet picked it up and swirled the contents, thinking it was nice to find a place capable of catering to vampires; like him. He downed the drink and sat the glass down with a thump.

  A scent caught his attention and gave him momentary pause. At first, he couldn't think why it stood out in a place so full of smells. Then it dawned on him, and the world froze. He went rigid and his heart seemed to trip into his throat. The scent was that of his own blood.

  He whirled from his chair, prepared for battle as memories long past seemed to crash into the here and now. It couldn't be him. After so many years, Sekhmet had assumed he was dead. Surely, he hadn't tracked him here, while their species was on the brink of war.

  The eyes that met his, however, weren't familiar at all. Instead of the fanatical brown eyes and blazing hatred he expected to see, he found himself momentarily lost in soft blue. He was so entranced, in fact, he missed the stake in her hand; coming straight toward him.