Lucius grabbed a box from the top shelf in the closet and Kaden knew what was in there.
“Lucius, hasn’t she been through enough?”
“She is no longer your concern. Go rescue her and bring her back to me. Then you are to disappear. Back to the demon world. Do you understand? If you come to her, I will kill you.”
So much for him not being an asshole. “I swore to my sister that I would return. But Tegan is my mate.”
“One you can’t have. You knew that from the start.” Lucius turned around. “Now go with Zaaren before I decide to change my mind.”
Kaden bowed his head and walked out. “We’re taking a demon portal.” He snapped.
“You should have known this was coming, Kaden.” Zaaren said.
Yes, he should have, but he still chose to pursue being mates with Tegan. He didn’t respond as he opened the portal. He gave a grand gesture. “After you oh Original Asshole.”
Zaaren stepped through and Kaden followed. The only bright side was that he would get to see his mate one last time and remember how beautiful and strong she was...
His thoughts disappeared as his gaze landed on Tegan. She was tied to a table, bleeding from all visible pulse points. Her breathing was shallow and her limbs twitched as if she was in a dream. He knew that she’d been used as a meal, not just for one vampire, but many.
“Ah Zaaren, I see you got my message.” Markus walked in with another vampire.
Kaden felt Zaaren tense and the power swirl around them. The olive skinned vampire laughed and walked up to the table. Kaden watched him. “You must be the Father.”
“Yes, you know me from Tegan’s dreams. You are her mate.” He ran a hand over Tegan’s naked body and she arched to his touch.
Kaden snarled. “Do not touch her. Her punishment is over.”
“Oh, do you think that she does not enjoy my touch? Did you know she begged for it at some point?” The Father untied her wrists and feet and Tegan slowly sat up, her eyes covered. “She never wanted you to know about that, how she had accepted her life.” He tilted Tegan’s head up and kissed her.
To Kaden’s surprise and disgust, Tegan kissed the vampire back. He took two steps forward, but Zaaren grabbed his arm.
“Do not be fooled, it is his power. Tegan is barely aware of what she is doing. Her mind is at peace because that is what he wants for her.”
It comforted him, barely. “Tegan?”
She turned to him and something crossed her features that Kaden could not recognize. The Father helped her off the platform then shoved her towards Zaaren. “Her punishment is over. Tell Lucius we will be paying him a visit after the New Year.”
Tegan stumbled and when Zaaren touched her she jerked away and fell to her knees. “Kaden?” She whispered.
He could hear the tears in her voice. “I’m right here.” He went to pick her up, but she was already getting to her feet.
“Your sister—“
“Yeah, I know.” He wrapped an arm around her and opened up a demon portal. He glanced over his shoulder to see Markus and the Father watching them carefully. Their gazed burned as he pulled his mate closer and walked her through the portal.
Tegan’s head swam when Kaden walked her forward and she knew they had gone through a demon portal. Sick to her stomach, she knew that the Father’s influence was leaving her. She shook as she tried to get her bearings. She could feel her brother close by and shame filled her at the idea of both Zaaren and Kaden seeing her on the table.
“Leave.” She whispered, but Kaden stayed by her side, supporting her.
Zaaren touched her cheek. “Sister of mine, you had to be reminded.”
“Get out.” She snapped. “I cannot be near you right now.” She moved her cheek away from her brother’s touch. “I hate you.” She collapsed as her body finally gave into the weakness. “How could you?”
Kaden caught her and placed her on the bed. Her bed, she could tell by the feeling of the microfiber bedspread.
Zaaren sighed. “Sister of mine, you were willing to give everything up for this demon, you needed to see that meant everything. Your freedom, your life, and now him.”
“What?” She gasped and found Kaden’s hand. What was her brother talking about? Certainly he wasn’t planning on killing Kaden.
Zaaren gave a dark laugh. “I will let him explain and I will let you two say your goodbyes.”
Her heart fell. What the hell? The door shut and she flinched at the sound and the idea of being locked in a room. She pulled her blindfold off with shaky hands and met Kaden’s eyes. She could see the tears there and suddenly she realized. “It’s true.”
“The only way to save you is for me to go back to the demon realm.”
She shook her head. “No. I need you here. You are my mate. You calm me. I can’t...” She growled. “Lucius is making you do this.”
“Yes, and no. I swore to my sister that I would return to her before I realized it meant I was swearing my alliance to her. As a demon, I can’t break my word. It bound me. I was willing to make such a deal in haste so I could come see you. She’s allied with the Circle.” He took her hand and squeezed it.
This couldn’t be happening. He’d come to get her, to save her and this was how it was going to end? Him working with the Circle? She pulled her hand away from him. “You’ll be working under them.”
“Tegan, I would never. But if I don’t go back Cael is crazy enough to stick a bounty on my head and that would begin a hunt for me not only by the demons but the Circle as well. Do you really want that kind of attention back on Lucius’ territory?”
Her chest tightened, this was a matter of choosing between her duties as a human and her mate. She knew the right answer, but she couldn’t believe he was forcing her to choose or that he’d be returning to be with the demons. “I want to be selfish.”
“I do too, but that would only put you in more danger and after what I saw tonight, I don’t want you anywhere near the Father if I can help it.”
She knew he was right. “My duties lay with Lucius and with the territory.” Wrapping her arms around herself, she took a deep breath. Her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest.
“And my duty is to keep you safe. This is the only way I can do that.” He cupped her face and turned her head to kiss her. “I love you Tegan, remember that.”
Which made it that much harder to bear. She couldn’t breathe as he stood and walked away. He opened the door and they both seemed to hold their breath. “Goodbye, Tegan.”
“I love you.” She blurted out, trying to think of something that would make him stay, but he opened a portal and disappeared. The moment he was gone her world shattered and she screamed. He was gone and he wouldn’t be coming back.
She rushed out her door, stumbling over her weak legs and falling into the hallway. “Kaden.” She called out and her body started shaking. He couldn’t leave her. Not now, not after she was so willing to give up everything. She couldn’t stop the sob that bubbled out of her throat.
“It’s okay, Tegan.” Lucius’ voice cut through some of her anger and grief. “You’ll get through this. You’ve always been strong.”
She could feel his power flow over her and she shivered as it pushed back her grief and anger. “Don’t touch me. Don’t do this, Lucius. I don’t want your power. I want my emotions. I want my anger. I want my mate.”
He stopped a few feet from her. “You’ve always known that you can’t have him or a mate. He left you to keep you safe.”
“I don’t care.” She whispered then looked up at him. “He made me happy. He loved me. No one else has done that for me.”
Kaden appeared back in his room in the demon realm. He put his hand to his chest as he swore his heart was being ripped out. All he could see was the grief in Tegan’s eyes, the way her voice cracked as she tried to fight the tears. But his words were true, it was the only way he could keep her safe, until his sister broke the alliance with the Circle. He gra
bbed a shelf full of meaningless things and tossed it to the ground. Crying out, he shattered a mirror against the floor and sat on his bed. He’d never see her again. Lucius would kill him and even if that didn’t happen, it would never be an option with the alliance.
“It’ll be okay, Kaden. In time the grief will fade, just like it did when you first met her.” Cael walked into the room, picking her way across the floor. “At least she lives.”
He glared at her. “Need I remind you that you wanted yours dead? You planned his death?” Using his Tegan. “Why did you plan all this, Cael?”
“I have my reasons. I need you by my side until the time is right.”
“Right for what?” He glanced up and met her gaze. It was not the same crazed look she had before. No, it was clear now, his sister’s normal calculating gaze.
“For you to return. I have made a plan with Zaaren. Do not fear, you will see Tegan and return to her as her mate.”
Except that he couldn’t believe his sister. “You are the one who sent her to Markus and the Father.”
“I am, because that was what Zaaren wanted.” She shrugged. “I plan on moving my alliance, but I have to make sure that the time is right.”
If only he could believe that, but with the grief caused by the loss of Cael’s mate he wasn’t sure if he could trust his sister. “Right.” He put his head in his hands and tried not to weep. He couldn’t sense her, couldn’t feel her, but maybe that was for the best.
Chapter Fourteen
Lucius watched Tegan silently from his spot against the wall of the kitchen. She refused his help in preparing food. He’d spent the rest of last night with her and she let him hold and comfort her, but he knew she hated every moment of Kaden being gone. He could feel it and since she refused his powers to help ease the pain and grief, there was nothing he could do.
“Sister of mine,” Zaaren’s voice made her freeze in her motions. The moment she heard his footsteps she hurled a plate at him and Lucius couldn’t help but smile. That was his girl.
Zaaren dodged the plate, letting it shatter against the wall. “Sister, you need to—“
Next thing was a knife, but it embedded itself into the wall next to Zaaren. “Woman, you need to talk to your master.” He snapped and Tegan froze in mid motion of throwing another knife. “About what you learned, saw, anything at the Father’s. Anything that could help us.”
Lucius hadn’t wanted to believe it when Zaaren had first told him that the Father was risen, but there was no reason to doubt the Original, nor Tegan now. Lucius could feel the Father’s power still clinging to her when she came back.
“Renee is throwing a New Years party tonight.” Tegan put the knife down. “At the town home.”
“Are you trying to bargain with him?” Zaaren asked.
Tegan turned back and felt along the counter until she found another plate and Lucius watched how her body tensed. She was probably debating how much trouble she’d get in.
“She is allowed.” Lucius stated and stepped further in. “You want to go in exchange for talking to me?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Then let me make your meal and we will go talk without your brother listening in.” Lucius hoped it would help put her at ease, after all it was her brother who convinced Cael that Tegan could kill the general.
She nodded and stepped away from the counter. Lucius stepped up and made her a sandwich and cut an apple up for her. When he turned around with the plate Zaaren was standing right behind him.
“She’s heading towards her room and you are spoiling her again.” Zaaren growled.
Lucius raised a brow. “By bringing her a meal and getting her to talk?”
“She shouldn’t be bargaining with you. You are her master and she should be willing to work and talk with you.” Zaaren crossed his arms. “She won’t even say one word to me without throwing something.”
“Do you blame her?” Lucius shook his head.
“She brought it on herself.” Zaaren shrugged. “Don’t you find it odd that Markus and the Father willingly gave her up?”
Lucius nodded. He had expected more of a fight, but he didn’t want to question it.
“Maybe there is something we are missing.”
Or Zaaren was just being paranoid. “Other than a visit after the New Year?” Lucius shrugged and left the kitchen. He was sure the Original could keep himself occupied.
Tegan turned her head towards the door when there was a knock. “Come in.” Not like Lucius or anyone else actually needed her permission. She sat cross-legged on the bed and the mattress gave a bit when Lucius put the plate next to her. Her punishment was two weeks blindfolded, Lucius had won that argument. Zaaren had wanted her to continuously be blindfolded again, and she was numb about the whole thing. “Thank you.”
“Tegan, I know you probably haven’t...recovered completely, but we need to talk about what happened at Markus’.”
She moved her plate onto her lap. She wished she could see his eyes, his face, anything that would give her a clue as to what he was expecting. “Other than my brother and Kaden’s sister conspiring together to put me there?” She bit out.
“Yes,” Lucius said with a sigh. “Tegan, I know you are hurting, but—”
“No, you don’t. You have no idea what it’s like for your mate to walk into your life then out. You have no idea what it’s like to be under the control of a monster, with no true free will, and you have no idea what it is like to be blind folded and unable to do most things on your own.” She growled.
“You want to do this the hard way? I’m trying to help you.” Lucius growled and her confidence shrank.
“You want to know what happened there, Master?” She couldn’t keep the snide tone out of her voice. “After I failed to kill Markus, I convinced the Father that he could not simply keep me because it was against the laws. Then he dragged me to a table and let the Circle feed off me, from there he took his own turn and it was just like old times. I was left there as a free for all for any passing vampire in Markus’ dwelling.” She started to shake and she tried to hide it by clenching her fists.
Lucius was quiet for a moment and she put her plate back on the bed. Waiting. He had kept his emotions from her since she returned and she couldn’t read if she had pissed him off or not. Finally his hand curved around hers.
“I would do anything to spare you the pain and the memories. You know that, but I also know that you are always listening, always vigilant when you are with the Circle. Did you overhear anything?”
Tegan took a deep breath and thought back. She’d managed to shake most of the effects of the Father’s powers after she’d been fed from. Lucius was right, she was always listening. “They are talking about taking over territories and killing the Originals. The Circle is backing the Father and they think that if they take out the Originals they will succeed. They...” Her chest tightened. “They have started breeding humans. It’s apparently been going on for a while, they were talking about generations and how if they could gain enough vampires they could essentially control everything. It’d be too late to do anything by the time the humans noticed what was going on.”
“Breeding? Are you sure?”
Tegan nodded, she remembered when the Father first said something about it. He had been stroking his hand over her stomach idly and a sick feeling crawled through her. “Yes. Lucius, they are planning on trying to take over all territories and cull the humans.”
He squeezed her hand and she took a deep breath.
“Thank you, that’s what I needed to know. You may go to Renee’s tonight, but you are to remain blindfolded.” He squeezed her hand. “It’ll do you good to be surrounded by someone other than Zaaren and I.”
That gave her a little bit of happiness. “Thank you.” But she wanted Kaden to be there. She knew that wasn’t going to happen. He made himself clear last night. Fresh tears tried to surface, but she caught herself in time.
“Tegan. Despite me not
knowing how everything feels, I know you are not yourself right now, and for that I am sorry.” He stood and kissed her head before leaving.
Tegan sat there in silence. She wanted her Lucius back, not the vampire he turned into when Zaaren was around. Once she was sure he was gone, she laid down and willed sleep to take her.
Tegan sighed as Jaxon let her out of the car. They’d finally gotten to Renee and Coran’s townhouse for the New Year’s party after a long, quiet drive. Kassity had never been talkative, but her near death experience seemed to have shut the cat up completely. Tegan, on the other hand, hated the silence and was glad to get out of the car and into the house.
Jaxon knocked on the door and Tegan heard the music grow louder when the door swung open. She hated being blindfolded outside of the mansion, but bargaining with Lucius had been worth it. There was no Zaaren here, there was no Lucius, and really no rules. Except to keep her eyes covered.
Renee squealed and arms wrapped around Tegan. “I’m so glad you could make it!”
Tegan gave her a half hug and smiled. “It took a little doing, but Lucius finally decided to let me out. I have to be back before dawn though.” Mostly so they could make sure she wasn’t going to do something stupid.
Someone snorted. “Rules, rules, rules.” Dani’s voice sounded. “Christ, it’s amazing you rarely break them. Besides, I think a mate is worth breaking Lucius’ rules.”
Most of the room laughed. Except Tegan. Suddenly she was grateful for the blindfold, she didn’t have to see everyone hanging off their mates. Her heart hurt. She shook her head. “I need a drink.”
The hours passed by with drinks, games, and music. Tegan managed to beat Orion in chess, with Renee’s help. Come midnight, the alcohol was starting to leave a lovely warm buzz in her and she started to relax. It wasn’t fair for her to be mad at everyone else for her screw-up. She was the one who let her guard down, she was the one who thought it was possible to have a mate. She was the one who disobeyed her master to go after a mate that could never be.
Her chest tightened and she couldn’t breathe. Forcing herself to take deep breathes she tried to focus on something else, but her mind seemed determined to focus on how she deserved every minute of punishment.
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