A Forever Series Box Set: A Paranormal Reverse Harem : Books 1-5

by Eve Newton

  “Fine. Go. But one of these days I am going to want you in my bed all night,” he orders.

  A thrill goes through me at the thought. “Yes, sir,” I murmur before I kiss him.

  Tearing myself away from him eventually, I stand to get dressed.

  “Oh, before you go, I have something for you.” He leans over to his bedside drawer and pulls out a black monogrammed ticket holder and hands it to me.

  Opening it, I take in the contents. My eyes flick back to his.

  “They are here, at La Scala next week. I thought you might be interested,” he says, watching for my reaction.

  I stare at him speechless, for once. He frowns at me, so I snap my thoughts back into gear.

  “Fuck's sake, CK. This is… Thank you,” I say and fall on him again, kissing him intently.

  “There are four seats,” he says carefully when I let him up for air. “In my private box. That would be right, yes?”

  I nod. “It’s perfect,” I say, and he smiles, pleased at my gratitude.

  Standing again, I grip the tickets tight and grin at him. “Goodbye, my love. I will see you in a few days.” He nods and I ‘smoke out’ back to my office, which was rather good of me considering I only had a place and not a person to go on. Pleased as punch with my afternoon, I unlock the door and sit down at my desk, gently placing down the precious cargo that thankfully also made it there in one piece.

  Lost in my thoughts, I jump a mile when Devon walks in.

  “Geez. Jumpy, much?” he asks.

  I scowl at him. “What do you want?”

  He raises an eyebrow at my tone. “I’ve been calling you for the past hour with no response.” He scowls back at me.

  I left my phone on the desk when I decided to flit across the pond.

  Checking it, I see fifteen missed calls and ten text messages. Most of them from Devon, the rest from Cole. Wow, stalk much?

  “I’m sorry, Dev. I forgot to take it with me in the moment,” I say.

  He looks confused and says, “You always take your phone. It’s like your ‘thing’. What moment?”

  “I went to Milan to see CK,” I say and twirl my hand around in the universal gesture of whatever it is I do, and he gets my meaning.

  “Oh, why?”

  “Because you were right the other night. I do need to be with him. Or did, at least. It’s good now. Everything is good.”

  At my use of ‘good’ and not ‘fine’, Devon looks less worried. “I see. How so?”

  I tell him about the vision I had and how I came across it. I want it out there. I tell him about the cave and the tall man saying my name. I also tell him about my connection to The Council.

  He’s listening with interest as he perches on my desk in front of me. “So, you fucked Constantine and got some answers. Wanna try again with me?” he asks slyly.

  I snort and shake my head. “Not here,” I say to his disappointment.

  He gets over it quickly. “So, you’ve no idea who the man is?”

  “No clue. Guess I will find out soon enough.” I drum my fingers impatiently drawing Devon’s attention to what I am drumming on. Sensing his look, I flatten my hand over the ticket holder.

  “Hm…” he says, plucking it out from under my hand and opening it.

  “Don’t make a big deal out of it,” I say, pre-empting his strike.

  He holds his hands up, “I didn’t say anything. I’m surprised though. I thought you’d avoid it like the plague.”

  “CK gave me the tickets. For the four of us next week at La Scala.”

  “Well, good. You need to go; it will be good for you.” At my silence, he carries on, “You could always go back to it at some point, you know.”

  I shake my head. “Life goes on. I’ve other things to concentrate on now.”

  He accepts that and places the tickets back on my desk.

  “Ready to go home?”

  “Yes, very much so. Let’s go,” I say, picking up my briefcase and placing the tickets inside. I grab my phone and call Cole to let him know I’m okay and we’re on our way home.

  I fill Cole in on the vision quest when we get home, again making a point of how I came across it. “So, I think I will learn more after the ceremony on Wednesday,” I finish up, ignoring his forced blank look.

  “Are we invited to watch this shindig or is it all secret rituals and stuff?” Devon asks.

  “Yes, you are invited. We’ll go straight from The Council to La Scala,” I reply.

  “La Scala?” Cole asks.

  “Yes, we have tickets to see a performance there on Wednesday night,” I say vaguely.

  “Performance of what?” he asks curiously.

  I sigh. “The Kirov Ballet is in town for one night. A special performance of Swan Lake.”

  Trusting Devon to help out, he points to me and says, “Liv used to dance for the Kirov. Her final performance for the Imperial Russian Ballet was the 1895 production of Swan Lake.” He holds his iPad out to Cole to show him the billing of me that he has dredged up from who the fuck knows where. I tut at him as Cole’s mouth drops open. I feel the familiar tingle up the back of my neck before I hear CK say behind me, “The only ballerina to perform a classical twenty-turn pirouette.”

  I turn to him with a smile, “It could be classified as cheating, you know.”

  He reaches out to touch my chin. “Vampire or not, never has there been a more skilled, talented, graceful dancer. Your passion was, is, legendary.”

  I simper at his words of praise while Cole is still staring at the picture of me (in my natural form) on Devon’s iPad.

  “This is really you?” he asks in amazement. I nod briefly.

  “This is the first time I’ve seen a real picture of you. I mean a picture from long ago. It’s incredible.”

  Smiling at his excitement, I turn back to CK. “I’m thrilled to see you, of course, but why are you here?” I repeat his words back to him and he chuckles. He opens his hand and my charm bracelet drops down. “To return this, my sweet.” He clasps it to my left wrist.

  “Thank you,” I say, “but it could have waited until Tuesday.”

  “It’s no trouble. I knew you would be missing it,” he says mildly, but I know his game and exactly why he is here. A not-so-subtle way of letting Cole know we were together earlier. Too bad for him though, that Cole already knows we’ve fucked this afternoon.

  Casting a sidelong glance at Cole, CK continues in French, “My bed was too empty after you left. I needed a distraction, so I went back to work.”

  “Hm,” I say nonchalantly, knowing that he has spoken at length with Eloise due to the nature of this conversation we are now having in her native language.

  “Incidentally,” he continues, “Gregor was asking about you.”

  “Oh?” That doesn’t sound good.

  “He was quite interested to learn more about you.”

  Grimacing, I reply, “Well, I hope you didn’t tell him much. The less that creep knows about me the better.”

  Looking slightly puzzled, he says, “Really, Aefre, you should be more respectful of your colleagues.”

  Devon snorts and says, “Yeah, like respect is high on his list of traits when it comes to Liv. Probably just trying to have another crack at her now that she is all that.”

  I step away from CK and hiss, “Devon!” flashing him a shut-the-fuck-up glare.

  “What?” he asks before the penny drops. “He doesn’t know, does he?” he asks in disbelief.

  I close my eyes and sigh. I jump at CK’s voice that cracks like a whip, “Know what?”

  He grabs my arm at my silence. “Know what, Aefre?” He growls at me, his eyes, two steel flints piercing mine.

  “It’s nothing.” I wince as his grip tightens.

  Shifting his furious gaze to Devon, he says, “Talk.”

  “No, Devon,” I say.

  Torn between his sire and his homicidal grand-sire, he looks at me at a loss. “I thought he knew. You never said h
e didn’t know,” he says petulantly.

  “It was implied,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “Liv, what the fuck is going on?” Cole asks and I realize we have been speaking in a language he doesn’t understand, but he is aware of the tension and growing atmosphere.

  Switching to English, I say, “It’s okay, baby. It’s nothing.” I glare pointedly at CK.

  Cole moves to my side and CK releases my arm. I hesitantly rub it, not wanting him to know he hurt me, but of course he does and casts me a half apologetic look.

  “Someone start talking,” he says in a voice, so cold, a shiver goes down my back.

  Devon sighs. “Sorry, my love, but it’s done now.”

  I take a threatening step towards my darling boy. He knows I’m furious with him. “Say one more word and I will stake you myself.”

  He blanches. Even though he knows it is an empty threat, it is a threat from his sire, nonetheless.

  “Speak now, or I will rip your head clean off your shoulders,” CK threatens.

  “Lizzie,” Devon pleads, inadvertently shortening Elizabeth, my name when I turned him, which shows me his consternation. “I like my head attached to the rest of my body. I’m sorry, but I am way more afraid of him than I am of you.”

  I hear CK snicker as I glower at my charge. “I will show you who to be more afraid of, my boy,” I snarl at him and as he backs away, I step towards him.

  At this point of the proceedings, CK realizes that I’m a danger to everyone in this room and touches my arm. I tense and shrug him off. The Power is rising up in me, fueled by my rage. I can feel the inky blackness rolling off me in waves.

  “Aefre, no,” CK orders as I raise my hand. “Calm yourself. Now, my love.” I turn my head to him. He tilts his head in question. “What is so bad that you can’t tell me?” he asks as if hurt.

  I blink and the haze of my rage disappears as quickly as it came. Glancing back, I see Devon, who is watching me warily and Cole, who is looking at me as if I’m some crazed lunatic, which I suppose I am, I concede to myself.

  “If I wanted you to know, I would have told you,” I say briskly, emphasizing each word for measure.

  “How did he hurt you?” he asks coldly.

  I clamp my lips together, resolute.

  “He raped her. Repeatedly,” Devon says quickly and before I can turn to kill him, he’s behind CK for protection, taking now, ironically, the lesser of two evils.

  Cole draws in a sharp breath as CK just stares at me, his face getting stonier by the second.

  “When?” he asks softly.

  I say nothing.

  He takes a step forward and I inadvertently take a step back, my newfound Power abandoning me under the threat of my own sire.

  “When was this?” he asks again.

  I shake my head.

  Spinning to Devon, Constantine says, “Speak for your sire.”

  Devon glances at me. “Lizzie, this is ridiculous. Just tell him. It was hundreds of years before I was even born,” he pleads again, and this time I think he used ‘Lizzie’ to soften me up.

  “May 1067. After we got back to Italy from William’s Coronation in England,” I say shortly.

  Constantine turns slowly back around to face me. His expression unreadable. “1067? When he came to Castellum Aquapontanus?” he asks, using the old Latin name for Castello Ponte Sull’acqua in Tuscany. “When I left you there to go to Rome and came back to find him visiting? He was hurting you while I wasn’t there?” His disbelief is evident as he retells the events.

  I nod reluctantly.

  “Why did you not tell me?” He looks pained and it clenches around my heart.

  “Because I knew that this would happen.” I point to his face. “I can’t bear the thought of causing you pain.”

  He chokes back a sad laugh. “Oh, my sweet Aefre. It is I who cannot bear to see you in pain.” He pulls me into a too-tight hug, but I don’t care. He whispers softly, “I will see him dead for this. There is a way and I will find it. I promise you.” I cling to him, the tears now falling freely. I hear Devon say to Cole to leave us be for a while and they go. Cole is silent, in shock at everything that has just transpired, and Devon is worried about whether I will let him see the sunrise. Well, actually I don’t know if that is what he is thinking, but he fucking well should be. The turncoat, I think viciously.

  Constantine leads me to the couch and sits me down next to him. “How many times?” he asks as if not really wanting to know.

  “About half a dozen.”

  He closes his eyes and says, “You should have told me the minute I got back.”

  I shake my head. “I couldn’t. I knew it would hurt you that you hadn’t protected me in the first place, and I was worried about the repercussions of accusing an Initial Vampire. I was still so new; our bond wasn’t strong enough for you to sense my fear. He knew that and he probably also knew I wouldn’t tell you. It stopped before you even got back as he got bored when I didn’t give him what he wanted.”

  He tenses. “And what was that?”

  “My willingness at first and when that didn’t happen, my fear.” I shrug. “I was used to enduring such acts from my husband. From Radulf,” I amend, not wanting Fraser and Cole categorized the same as that monster.

  “I killed him for you. And I will do it again,” he growls.

  “It’s not necessary, my love. It was over nine hundred years ago. I’m over it. I was over it the second he left the castle and you took me to your bed. I didn’t see him again for centuries, and I’ve been hurt worse since then.”

  His eyes snap to mine and harden. “You were too merciful then as well, my sweet. The thing I love the most about you, is also the thing that frustrates me the most.” He sulks and I giggle at my bloodthirsty savior. “Don’t ever keep anything from me, Aefre. Do you understand? I am your sire. I am not yours to protect, but you are mine to protect and I will do that. Always and Forever.”

  I smile at his words. “I understand,” I say.

  “Don’t be too hard on your boy. He was only doing for you what you were doing for me. As misguided as you charges seem to be, his heart was in the right place,” he mutters.

  I chuckle at his patronizing ‘you charges’ comment. “I love you,” I whisper.

  “I love you. I will go now and let you deal with your fall out. I won’t say anything to Gregor.” He spits the word out. “I want him defenseless. If you let your boy live, tell him to keep his mouth shut this time.” He smiles so I know he’s joking about the letting him live part.

  “Done,” I say, and with a last smile at him, he Teleports out.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  I slowly walk to the bar to get a Scotch, doing it the old-fashioned way to buy myself some time. I sense him before I see him, hovering in the doorway.

  “Et tu, Brute?” I say sardonically, not turning around.

  He stifles a snicker at my Caesar quote. “Should I get you a stake to sharpen or do I get a reprieve?” he asks, half joking.

  I turn slowly and say, “I haven’t decided yet.”

  He looks mildly alarmed as he says, “In my defense, you never said it was a secret.”

  “Do you really think that Constantine would allow him within a thousand miles of me if he knew?” I ask.

  He ponders that and sighs. “No, I guess not. I’m sorry, but once it was half out, he wouldn’t have let it go.”

  I sag my shoulders. “Next time just keep it to yourself. And keep it to yourself now. CK doesn’t want Gregor to know he knows, yet.”

  He nods. “He’s really going to try and find a way to kill him?”

  “Yes. I’m not sure it's such a good idea,” I say worried.

  “He’ll take care,” Devon reassures me.

  “I know. I worry though.”

  “I know.”

  I smile, then, as he does know.

  “Is Cole okay?”

  “A bit freaked out, I think. He’s in your office.”


  “I should go and talk to him.”

  “Okay. Erm, Lizzie? I think I’m more afraid of you now.” His lips twitch and I burst out laughing.

  I find Cole in my office staring at the stained-glass window.

  “A bit gory, isn’t it?” he asks, turning as he hears me enter.

  You don’t know the half of it, I muse, but say nothing.

  “So, that was…” I trail off.

  “Uncomfortable? Scary? Upsetting? Tense?” he offers up.

  “All of the above,” I confirm.

  “Are you okay?” he asks tentatively.

  “I’m fine. Are you?” I peer at him.

  “A bit shaken up. Both by the secret and you,” he admits. “Your Power,” he amends as he sees my eyes widen. “That was something else. You weren’t really going to hurt him, were you?” he asks, unsure.

  “No! Of course not,” I reassure him with a confidence I don’t feel. The Power had taken me over completely, fueled by my rage. “Constantine wouldn’t have let me anyway,” I add.

  “He was really mad. Do you think he’s really going to try and kill Gregor?” he asks.

  “Yes. But he doesn’t want him to know he knows…”

  “I won’t say a word. I don’t want to risk your wrath!” he jokes and hugs me gently. “I’m sorry that you had to go through something like that,” he whispers.

  “It’s okay. I’ve been through worse,” I tell him.

  He starts with a grimace. “Do I want to know?”

  “Probably not, no.”

  “This has been some night,” he says.

  I agree.

  “How come you never mentioned you were a dancer? That’s really awesome,” he says suddenly.

  Surprised, I answer, “You think so? Wouldn’t have pegged you as a fan of Classical Russian Ballet.”

  “Are you kidding? It’s unbelievable.”

  “Well, not so sure I could do it now.”

  “It’s probably like riding a bike,” he insists, and I laugh.

  “Maybe.”

  “Since it’s been a night of revelations, how about one more?” he asks tentatively.

  I pull away and look at him curiously, folding my arms across my chest. “Okay?”

  “Who is Fraser?” he asks.