by Unknown
Jolie bowed to Master Vlad as he nodded in agreement.
The head of the council continued on, but Jolie lost concentration. She had the need to be home. Jacques must have been in her mind, because immediately, his hand was on her shoulder. She opened for him.
“Detective Brogan was sitting outside our home this evening,” said Jolie.
“I know. I saw him as I was chasing after you. He followed us this evening, but we managed to lose him with speed.”
“What are we going to do with him? He’ll be coming to see us tomorrow.”
“I don’t doubt it. We’ll manage, mon amour.”
There was motion to her side, and Jolie glanced over at her friend, Genevieve. The woman motioned toward Jacques and Jolie nodded. When the woman raised an eyebrow and a smile slid across her lips, Jolie knew what she was thinking.
After all, the same thing was going through her mind.
Jolie was a lucky girl, and it couldn’t get any better than this.
∞ ∞ ∞
When everyone was dismissed, Jolie hugged her old friend warmly.
“My dear friend, you look as ravishing as ever,” Jolie crooned to the woman.
“You should talk! I do believe that you’re still the most beautiful from our group,” Genevieve admitted.
Jolie began laughing, knowing that the vampyre was very vain and that statement was total bullshit. Everyone knew that Genevieve believed herself to be stunning and untouchable on that front.
“I have missed you Jolie. You don’t visit anymore,” said Genevieve, playing enviously with Jolie’s black silky hair.
“I’ve been very busy,” she replied, watching as Genevieve’s eyes wandered to Jacques, who was standing behind her. “I was referring to work, my friend,” she laughed, as she put a hand behind her to connect them. Without any hesitation, he accepted, moving closer into her body.
It was all very telling.
“We must talk,” Genevieve said, pulling Jolie away from the man. “I’ll return her, Jacques. I swear it,” she laughed at the bereft look when Jolie was moved out of his grasp.
“What’s wrong, Genie?” she inquired, as her friend dropped an arm around her shoulders. “What’s the problem? I can feel your concerns,” Jolie asked, carefully watching her friend’s face. “Speak freely.”
“This killer worries me. It reminds me of home, and we all know that didn't end well. I hope and pray that the hunters don’t come for us again.”
She understood the woman’s concerns. “I’m working on it, so you need to have faith in me. I’ll find the person risking us and take care of it.”
Genevieve still looked concerned.
“Let’s talk of happier things,” she began. “Have you chosen your mate yet?” she asked.
Jolie glanced over at the man standing nearby. Everything in her wanted to pick him and claim Jacques in front of their entire society. “Not yet.”
“Really, because to everyone here, it looks like you have. What is it with the two of you?”
Jolie decided to be honest with her friend. “I love him.”
“Mon amour, then he should be the one!” she reassured, kissing Jolie’s cheeks.
“If I do claim him, the family is going to go over the edge, and I’m afraid he’ll say no because of that.”
“Don’t be silly! Are you happy?”
Her heart fluttered in her chest. “Absolutely, and the sex is incredible,” she whispered. Jolie couldn’t believe that she was talking about Jacques like that to some other woman.
“He is delicious. You always did like the large vampyres. I bet he’s built well.”
Jolie slapped her arm, knowing what she was referencing. There was no way she was going to go there, even if it was absolutely true. “He makes me feel safe and protected. I can’t seem to be away from him. I went to his room last night to die with him, because I couldn’t bear to be alone.”
“Cherie, did you both drink blood while having sex?” asked Genevieve, leaning forward.
“Yes, just last night.”
“Well, Jolie, then you have already mated with your guardian. Soon, he’ll share your powers, and you’ll pick up some of his gifts. Since he can’t share a soul with you, everything else will blend.”
Jolie just looked at her. “I didn’t know that we would be mated if we shared blood together at the same time.”
“Yes, it’s how a vampyre mates with its own kind. Drinking blood is not a common practice any longer from day to day, but it’s still part of the mating ritual. You would have had to drink first, since you’re the dominant, and he would have had to have been invited to feast from you.”
“Well, shit. That takes care of worrying about that then,” said Jolie.
“Are you saddened? You don’t need to abide by it, but it’ll make it very difficult to mate with another vampyre. Now, if a human catches your fancy, that’s another story.”
Immediately, her thoughts wandered to the detective. This was going to be tricky.
“No, I’m not sad, but could you do me a favor, old friend?”
“Absolutely. You only need to ask, cherie.”
“Could you get one of your many guardians to bring my bike home for me?” She glanced over at Jacques. “I need to be near him right now, or at least until I claim him in front of the family tonight.”
“Good luck, mon ami. It’ll work out. I’m very happy for you.” Genevieve kissed her friend on the lips and gave her a hug. “Go to him. Look he is anxious without you. You’re definitely showing signs of being mated.”
Secretly, that thrilled her.
Jolie crossed to Jacques, wrapping her arms around his waist. Immediately, he leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Are you ready, Mistress?”
“Yes, but there has been a change of plans, and I hope that you won’t mind too much.”
“Oui?” he asked, lifting one aristocratic brow.
“I’ll be riding home with you. I need to be near you right now. Do you mind?” she asked, gazing into his green eyes.
“How could I turn down a plan like that?” he asked, kissing her softly on the lips. “There’s not a lot of time before dawn, so we should get moving.”
“We need to talk. In fact, we need to call a family meeting as soon as we return to the house,” she stated, pulling her helmet off her bike and tossing one of Genevieve’s guardians her keys.
When Jacques got on the bike, Jolie straddled it too, wrapping herself against his body. Once she was in place, there was very little room between them.
“Mistress,” he muttered, as her hands made it difficult to think straight.
“Can you drop the title, Jacques? It’s pissing me off,” she stated.
He could do that. “Oui, Jolie.”
Yeah, that was so much better.
“I have a question,” he began. “Have you ever had road rash?”
That made her laugh. “You know that I have. In fact, we both have.”
He winked at her.
Placing her helmet on her head, she leaned into his body. “I’m getting that déjà vu feeling again.”
When her hand snaked up under his shirt, he knew they were both going to be sore in the morning.
“Jolie!”
Her laughter filled the air as he attempted to get them home with their skin intact.
∞ Chapter Nine ∞
Early Sunday Morning
When they returned home, everyone in the house was waiting in the family room as Jolie had requested. There were more than twenty blank faces watching them when they arrived. Jolie could feel Jacques’s hand tense when they were greeted by the society. He immediately attempted to release her to resume his duty as guardian.
Unfortunately for him, she wasn’t having it.
Balzac was the first to stand when they entered the room, and the look on his face showed his displeasure. He moved forward and made his discontent known just by the tone of his voice.
“Mistress, we’re here
as you requested,” said Balzac. “What would you like to discuss with us?” he asked, and then returned to sit beside his mate.
Jolie released Jacques’s hand so she could address the family as their primus. Most were not truly blood relatives, but related by mating and bonding. Her family had grown smaller over the years due to the hunters. “I’ve asked that you all meet with me tonight because I have an announcement. I’ve been primus of this society for just under six centuries, and I know everyone has been pushing me to choose a mate.”
There was a collective gasp from the family as they all turned to stare at Jacques, who looked just as surprised at her announcement.
“I’ve made my decision and would like for you all to accept Jacques as my chosen, my first, and my vampyre mate.” She turned with a flourish and returned to Jacques side. “If he will agree to take me on for all the good and bad that comes with the package,” she said, placing her hand on his face as he dropped to his knees.
“Mistress, you must think about this,” said Balzac, standing again before Jacques could say the words binding them together forever. “You can’t procreate and continue the family with him. Together you can’t have children, and we need to strengthen our numbers. You need to take a human mate, not this childishness. Love has nothing to do with this and shouldn’t be a consideration.”
“Balzac, I understand your concerns, but it’s too late. Jacques is my chosen. We’ve bonded, and already Jacques is sharing some of my powers. He’s now our second, whether you agree or not.”
“It can’t be so,” said Balzac, looking ill at the prospect of the mating already being completed. This ruined his chances of ever running the society if something were to happen to Jolie.
Devin and Zola stood. “Balzac, we’ve seen them in the process and don’t doubt that she speaks the truth.”
They bowed their heads toward Jolie.
The growl from Balzac filled the room.
Sensing his trepidation, Jolie glanced down at a still kneeling Jacques, hoping that he wouldn’t turn her down in front of their entire society.
It would crush her.
Reaching out to search for his mind, she tried to keep her voice without any emotion.
“Jacques?”
“Mistress?”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m just humbled and honored beyond belief. I never imagined that you would honor me with such a gift.”
“Are you angry that I didn’t warn you of my intentions?” she asked, trying to seek out his true emotions.
“Mistress, I could be nothing but flattered by your selection of me.”
Jolie went a step further as she kneeled before him to put them eye to eye.
Again, there was another gasp from her society that their primus was on her knees.
Jolie knelt for no one. This had never happened before.
“Will you accept me as your mate, Jacques?” she asked, placing her hands on his chest as she gazed into his eyes.
“My Mistress, it is my fondest desire to be bonded with you for all of our lives,” he answered, taking her hands. “I’ll cherish being your mate and protect you from all who threaten to take you from me. You’re mine for all eternity.” Laying a kiss on the center of each wrist, he sealed his promise to her.
Jolie stood and pulled Jacques to his feet. She leaned into him and kissed both cheeks, and then his lips. “Then, so be it. My choice is made.” She went into Jacques’s embrace, and he lovingly folded his arms around her. There was nothing but peace that this was the right thing to do.
Jolie was euphoric.
They both turned back to the family and stared out at the members surrounding them. Most were happy for her, but there was Balzac with a look of utter disappointment on his face. He was now pushed back down the control ladder from Jolie’s second in command to her third, and he wasn’t afraid to show it.
“You’re all dismissed. We have things to do tonight before the dawn,” said Jolie. When Jacques wrapped his arms around her to pull her into his protective grasp, her heart fluttered at the nearness. It was complete bliss.
So, this was what she was missing all these years.
Jacques watched as Balzac stepped forward, and he prepared himself for the barrage of disparaging comments. It wasn’t like the vampyre was going to suddenly change. Jacques knew that he was despised because of his closeness to Jolie.
His whole body tensed as he approached.
“Now, we’ll need to appoint you a new guardian, Jolie. Since you’ve chosen to take yours as your mate, you’re going to have to replace him,” he stated, haughtily. One way or another, he’d destroy the man before him. By forcing Jolie to pick a new vampyre to keep her safe, he knew it would eat away at Jacques. By all rights, a guardian was given certain favors by his mistress. It would torture her new mate to no end.
Two could play at this game.
This fight was far from over.
Jacques’s body tightened at the implication. If Jolie took another guardian, she would take him to bed as a reward.
It horrified him.
“No, Balzac, I don’t need another one. Jacques will continue to take care of me,” she replied, knowing exactly what the man was trying to do. Balzac wanted to torment Jacques, now that he couldn’t do so openly.
“But Mistress…” he balked.
“I’ll guard her better than any guardian. She’s my life and always has been,” added Jacques, kissing her neck.
“So be it, Mistress,” he said, bowing and leaving the room. In his mind, this wasn’t done.
“Are you ready to retire to your quarters?” he asked, when they were finally alone. He was completely off balance and unsure what to say to her.
This was new territory.
“I’m ready to retire to our quarters,” she replied, correcting him. When the joy rushed into his eyes, Jolie wanted to giggle. Jacques was now her mate! Part of her wanted to run around like a maniac and shout it from the rooftops.
The other part wanted to be sad. How had she not felt this way about him sooner? There were six hundred lost years to make up for, and she was ready to begin.
“Come then, Jolie,” he said, holding out his hand for her.
“Yes, mon amour,” she replied. “I need to free myself of this leather.” She heard him snicker, and it warmed her heart. “You laugh, but I feel trapped in someone else’s skin.”
“You don’t look trapped, you look truly spectacular,” he reassured, kissing her palm.
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he escorted her to their quarters. He really liked the idea of it being their private space to hide away in. Now, Jacques would no longer have to die or wake alone. He was finally completed after many lonely centuries of just being able to dream and not take.
“Feel free to redecorate to make the room feel more like your own,” she said, enjoying the warmth of his body. “I don’t mind if you bring everything in your closet here too,” she mumbled, as she nuzzled his shoulder. The delicious scent of Jacques filled her and gave her incredible peace.
They stopped outside her quarters, and he paused before they entered the room.
“I have something for you,” he said, as he pushed the door open.
Jolie entered the room and stared in amazement at the transformation of their quarters. The room was free of unnatural light, only illuminated by hundreds of flickering white candles. Spinning in a circle, it was hard to take it all in. There were dozens of blood red roses in crystal vases on every ledge and table surface. Across the bed, someone had haphazardly strewn more petals. It looked so inviting, almost like a blood red layer of velvet lying delicately on top of the white silk.
Then, there was the smell. The entire room was tinted in the scent of hothouse roses and fragrant vanilla candles.
Jolie almost thought that she was in the wrong room.
“I had some redecorating done while we were at council,” he admitted, waiting for her to face him. “I hope you don�
�t mind that I was bold.” He watched her in the candlelight, enjoying the look of sheer wonder and pleasure.
“Jacques, I don’t know what to say. It’s amazing.”
“Does it please you?” he asked, hoping it did. While he had given her little romantic gifts and gestures over their years together, none had been this personal. This was new for him, and he hoped that he had done it right.
“Beyond words,” she said, truly stunned at what he had created for her. No one had ever done that for Jolie before in her entire eight hundred years.
In fact, no one ever wanted to do it for her.
Jolie knew than that her decision to take him as her mate was absolutely right.
“Thank you,” she said, moving into the strong arms that she had come to depend on more than anything in her lengthy existence.
Here stood her rock and now her mate.
“Je t'aime,” hewhispered against her lips, as he gently kissed her. Slowly, it morphed into something so much more urgent. Effortlessly, he slid into her mind.
Jolie repeated the words to him over and over again as she reveled at how glorious it felt to say them to someone she truly loved.
He pressed her against the front of him, reaching around her back to slide the zipper down until she was free.
“Bath?” he asked, pulling his lips away from hers.
She couldn’t speak, since she was overwhelmed with emotion. As he began to strip her of her clothes, Jolie enjoyed the look of pleasure on his face. When his hand paused, she grinned wickedly.
“Is there a problem, mon amour?” she asked, kissing his neck.
“No, I’m just glad that I wasn’t aware that you were naked under the leather. It would have made me crazy,” he admitted, kissing her neck and lapping his way across the delicate flesh.
“Next time, I’ll be sure to make you aware of it,” she teased, as he nipped her ear just hard enough to surprise her.
“Let me help you out of your clothes, Jacques, it’s only fair,” she offered, sliding her hands under the material and across the firm muscles of his stomach and chest.
