by V. Vaughn
"Good. Now find some good music on that phone of yours for the trip."
As we drive, I discover Adly has a love for the same music my mother does, since he is technically from the same generation as her, so we rock out to eighties bands I grew up listening to.
As we approach the Hart mansion, I take a deep breath and wiggle my toes with my excitement. I know it's only been a few days since I last saw Alexander, but it feels like a lifetime. I crack open the window to smell the salty air, which makes me think of the first kiss Alexander and I shared, sitting out on the rocks that overlook the ocean. And then Sebastian caught us. I reach for the vial of his blood around my neck and remove it. My heart stutters for a moment as I do, and I wonder if she’s warning me. But I don’t listen, because Sebastian has come between Alexander and me too many times as it is. When we pull into the driveway, I practically run to the front door to go inside.
Adly gets there first and says, "Careful. Alexander probably has Lyndsey restrained, but the last thing I want to do is bring you back to Sebastian with even a scratch."
"Oh. Right." I frown. "Is it going to be hard for her to have me here?"
"She'll be fine for a couple hours." He waggles his eyebrows at me. "I'll keep her entertained."
I remember she is supposed to be in the sex-fiend phase, and I decide I don't want to know. Once I get inside, I see Alexander at the top of the stairs, and he appears before me in a flash with his vampire speed to lift me off my feet in a tight embrace. "Maggie."
I gaze into his green eyes, which melt my insides. "Alexander."
He sets me down and kisses me, and I grab onto his shoulders as my knees get weak. All my insecurities about us disappear, because I feel as if he's pouring his love into me with the connection. When Alexander breaks away, he scoops me up in his arms and says to Adly, "She's chained in the guest room." He glances down at me and says to him, "Thank you, my friend."
Adly chuckles as Alexander whisks me away to a room I've never seen. It's down the hallway I first explored when I moved here, and when Alexander sets me on my feet again, I take in the decor. The floor and furniture are dark wood, while the drapes and bedding are burgundy. Alexander leads me over to a chestnut-colored leather couch. "I've missed you so much, Maggie."
He sits down and pulls me onto his lap. "I've missed you too," I say. His hair is silky on my fingers as I comb them through his hair. "I wish you were on tour with me. Surely there must be something we can do about Seb— "
His finger is cool on my lips. "Shhhh. We only have a couple hours, and there are things I want to do to you." He slides his hand over my breasts, and my nipples harden against the lace of my bra. I let out a small moan as he says, "Things we can't do over text."
He begins to kiss my neck, and any thoughts I had about conversation flee from my mind. His mouth is cool on my skin, and shivers of excitement run down my spine as he moves lower. I reach for the hem of my shirt to lift it over my head.
When I reach behind my back to undo my bra, Alexander says, "Let me." And his nimble fingers unhook it before he slides the straps off my shoulders. "Stand up, Maggie. Let me look at you."
I do as he asks and work on the button of my jeans. "I want to see you too," I say. Alexander stands up and takes his shirt off slowly. I let out a sigh as I wiggle out of my pants. "I like this show."
"Yeah?" There's a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Go sit on the bed and let me entertain you."
His velvet comforter is soft on my bare bottom as I climb on the large four-poster bed, and I giggle when he starts to hum a tune and gyrate his hips to make his abdominals flex before me. "You've done this before."
He shakes his head. "Never. You're the first to see this sexy dance." He reaches down to his waistband and undoes the button, and when he gets to the zipper, he moves it up and down to the beat of his song.
"Such a tease," I say as my insides tremble with desire. "Take them off."
Alexander leaves his zipper down and turns around. He wiggles his butt as he slides the edges of his pants down. I chuckle as he twerks a little before lowering the jeans down below his butt. He drops them to the floor and kicks them out of the way before he dances away from me.
"Hey. Don't I get to put a dollar in— on— somewhere?"
He's across the room from me and turns around slowly. "You can put your hands anywhere you want."
I climb up on my knees and crook my finger at him. "Then get over here, because there is a whole lot of you I want to touch."
He walks over to me slowly, and the heat in his eyes makes my insides tremble. I reach out and place my hand on his belly to feel it quivering too, and as he grabs my arms to kiss me, I reach down and wrap my fingers around his thick erection.
He groans as he reaches between my legs, and I widen my thighs to let him slide his fingers into me. "My god," says Alexander with a sigh as I stroke him. "Lie down."
I lie back on the bed as he drapes my legs over his shoulders and lowers his mouth to me. The man works me over with his tongue until I writhe beneath him, and when my orgasm makes me cry out, he moves up and rubs his cock along my sensitive folds.
"I need you inside me, Alexander."
"I need to be there," he says as he sinks in slowly. He grabs one of my hips with one hand and my bottom with the other. He moans as he pumps in and out of me until the sounds become guttural. His excitement sends currents of pleasure through me, and another orgasm dances its way to the surface. Alexander lets out a grunt before he stills for a moment, and then he tenses as he cries out with his release.
Sweat is slick on my skin as I continue to rock my hips. Alexander moves with me until I too let ecstasy take over. As I pant to catch my breath, he rolls to the side and holds me tight. "Maggie." His fingers are soft on my cheek as he pushes hair out of my face. "The flush on your cheeks right now is so sexy." He lets out a low groan. "And your naked warmth against me is wonderful. I never want to let you go."
I smile at him as I stroke his cheek. "I love you too, Alexander. So much."
He lifts his head as if he heard something before he presses his forehead against mine. "I know it's hard for you, not knowing why we have to be apart. I'm so sorry. Some day, I'll explain it to you." He peels himself from me and stands up. His brow furrows as if he's in pain, and he walks over to where he stripped off his clothes.
"What is it?"
Alexander shakes his head as he turns to me. "Guilt is a powerful thing."
"Are you feeling it because we were just together?" My stomach clenches as I sit up slowly.
"Yes— No." He lets out a sigh as he puts a foot into his jeans. "Sebastian can't know you were here, and it kills me that I have to tell you that."
I get up on my knees. "Alexander, please! Tell me what the big secret is. What kind of hold does Sebastian have over you that won't let you be with me?"
His jaw clenches as his eyes get hard. "Sebastian isn't making me stay away, Maggie. It was my decision."
I feel as if the air was sucked out of my lungs, and my chest burns as if I need to breathe. "What?"
I climb out of the bed to go to him, but he holds up his hand to stop me. His zipper hums as he yanks it up. Alexander grabs his shirt. "It's time for you to go."
He turns to walk toward the door. "Alexander!" He doesn't turn around, and I’m left wondering what just happened. I stare at the solid wood door in front of me and notice the brass knob. I wonder how it can be shiny in such an old house as tears burn a hot trail down my face.
9
Maggie
After Alexander leaves me alone in his bedroom, I let myself cry for a few minutes before it occurs to me he was trying to upset me. I pick up my underwear, and the fabric is silky in my hands as I tug them on. Sure, he's got some obligation that is hovering over him about Sebastian's soul-mate connection with Elizabeth's heart in my body, but I believe Alexander loves me even if he didn’t say it. I recall the way he looked at me when he was moving the hair out of my face
. I saw pure soul-mate love. Or is that what I wanted to see?
I shake off my doubt as I finish dressing, and when I get to the stairs, I discover Adly is waiting for me in the foyer. His hair is disheveled, and he has a big grin on his face. It makes me wonder if he and Lyndsey had sex of their own. It shouldn't upset me considering what I just did, but anger at Alexander's admission that he's the one who chose to keep us apart pulses through my veins. I snap at Adly as my feet pound down the steps. "Ready to go?"
"Whoa. I expected a silly grin as you stumbled with weak knees. What happened?"
I realize I'm being stupid, so when I get to him, I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. "I'm sorry. Alexander and I had a— " I shake my head, because we didn't exactly fight. It was more like him trying to punish me for making him give in to our love, and now my anger is replaced with a desire to cry. "I'm not sure what just happened."
Adly walks us over to the front door and holds it open for me. "Do we need French fries and ice cream on the way home? Or would you rather punch me?"
Both. Waves crashing on the rocky shore hiss at us, and I imagine the mist on my face from the spray as we walk to the car. Adly acts like the big brother I always wanted, and I say, "You're entirely too good at this girl thing, but I'm fine." As much as I'd like to talk to Adly, I need to process what really happened with Alexander. I also think it's best if Adly isn't in on the weird Hart-brother love triangle I'm in. "I'd rather not talk about it if you don't mind." My voice wavers at the end, and I realize not telling Adly what happened might have more to do with the ugly cry I'm trying to contain.
"Sure."
The handle of the limo's passenger-side door clicks as he opens it for me, and he gives me a look of compassion that almost makes me come undone anyway. I decide I can let him in a little bit, so I say, "Maybe a drive-through for French fries and a shake could happen."
"Your wish is my command, Miss Kitty Kane."
Before we hit the interstate, Adly gets me fast food, and on our way back to Boston, I decide to distract myself with something other than why my boyfriend flipped on me. I ask, "How is Lyndsey?"
"Great."
"Uh-huh," I say in a teasing tone.
He chuckles. "Not that kind of great. I meant she seems to be handling her change really well. You don't usually see that with a new vampire who didn't choose to be one."
I wonder if he's referring to himself. "I imagine the process is hard no matter what."
He's silent for a while, and I wait patiently for Adly to talk. When he does, he says, "Yeah. It's a lot to deal with. And when you have no idea what's happening to you, or that it even could, it's hard to accept."
"You didn't know vampires existed either."
"Nope. And I was pissed off at how I died, so I wasn't grateful to the vampire who thought he was saving me. For a long time, I wished I had been able to die like a human."
"Call me selfish, but I'm glad you didn't."
"Thanks," he says. I glance out at the darkness on the side of the road as I eat French fries in silence. After a little while, Adly says, "I'm curious. What made you want to work for vampires?"
"I didn't know that's what Sebastian and Alexander were until after I took the job." I take a sip of my shake and let the sugary flavor sit on my tongue for a moment. I recall how when I first heard about working for Sebastian, Elizabeth made our heart believe taking the job was the right thing to do. "Do you know about my heart?"
"I know you're susceptible to heart attacks, and I'm supposed to save you at all costs."
"You'd give me your blood?"
"In a heartbeat."
He flashes a grin at me, and I chuckle before I say, "I spent my childhood in and out of hospitals because of heart disease. Finding a compatible organ donor isn't easy, and I expected to die before I was twenty-five." I notice a car with only one headlight and am tempted to make a wish.
"Wow. That had to have sucked."
"It did. I remember the day I found out I was getting a heart. I was in shock. I was on the verge of death and had accepted it. It all happened so fast, though, and I was at the hospital before I had time to process the news. When I was on my way to surgery, I freaked out. I hadn't planned on living as a real adult, and I was afraid I couldn't do it." Adly glances at me. "When I woke up, I cried because at that moment I wished I'd died instead." I shove a fry in my mouth as shame burns in me from my admission. "The thing is, I knew recovery was going to be hard and that it would take years. And— " I let out a sigh as I reveal my darkest secret. "I didn't want to do it. I was ready to die, and the thought of having to live even a month like I had been all my life was almost too much."
"But obligation kicked in and made you fight."
I look at Adly, and warmth flows through me at the way he understands. "Yes. I knew the heart I received would have been welcomed by so many others. It was an amazing gift, and I should be grateful. It made my mom so happy too," I say. "I really didn't want to die. I just didn't want to have to work so hard at living."
"That's what it was like for me. I knew I should be thankful for being able to still exist. My creator gave me something many would beg for, and he was thrilled to have been at the right place at the right time to give it to me. I felt obligated to try for him, and— " He glances at me. "I know now that if I'd been given a choice and understood how happy I would be, I'd have wanted to be a vampire."
Obligation. That is what's driving Alexander. He's obliged in some way to Sebastian to stay away from me so that Elizabeth's heart will make me fall in love with the older Hart brother. But what Alexander doesn't get is that being with Sebastian is never going to happen. The man infuriates me with his overbearing need to control my life. I let out a small noise of disgust. My heart clenches with Elizabeth's pain, but I ignore it. I think I'm going to have to be the one to prove that to Sebastian since Alexander can't seem to fight for us.
"Told you we should have ordered the supersized fries."
"What?" I glance down at the empty box in my hand. "Oh. I don't think there are ever enough fries no matter what size you get."
"True," says Adly. A car whooshes by us in the passing lane before he asks, "Want to tell me what happened with Alexander?"
"No. It was a misunderstanding, and I think I overreacted. I'm going to be fine. We'll be fine." Especially now that I'm motivated to show Sebastian why he's never going to win me over. "Thank you for taking me to see him. It was really sweet of you."
"No problem. I'm glad I could."
I slurp down the last of my shake and realize I need to use the restroom. I ask, "Can we take the next exit that has a bathroom?"
"Sure."
In a couple miles, Adly pulls off the interstate, and we stop at a convenience store. He waits in the car while I go inside. It's late, and I'm the only one in the shop other than the attendant. The fluorescent lights give everything an eerie glow, and if I didn't have a vampire waiting for me in the parking lot, it would be creepy. As I'm walking toward the back where the restrooms are located, I notice pretzels, and I recall the night of Matt's party when I saw Aiden picking up snacks. That was the night everything changed for Lyndsey, and I imagine she's missed by her friends. Even though I only have my mother and my childhood friend Kristi, I try to envision having to give them up overnight. I expect Lyndsey is angry about being a vampire right now, and I wonder how long it will take her to be glad she was given a chance to stick around instead of dying. Although I suspect she thinks she wouldn't have died if it weren't for vampires in the first place, considering she was trying to get to the bottom of what happened at Matt's.
Water trickles out of the faucet before I turn it on to wash my hands, and I take a moment to think about my mother and Kristi. I wish I could tell them about being Kitty Kane, and I imagine how much they both would love riding around in a limo and going to the book signings with me.
When I get back outside, I glance around at where Adly parked, but the car isn't there. I turn ar
ound when I hear a noise behind me, and my jaw drops when I see Robert, the vampire I met in the bar in Boston. "Need a ride, little girl?"
My blood runs cold, and I dart my gaze to the store entrance behind him. "No." I move forward to go back inside as I say, "I forgot to get something."
Robert steps in front of me, and his dark eyes flash with his vampire side. I stop moving as my heart beats quickly. Robert begins to inhale but stops short to crinkle his nose. "You're with both brothers?" He cocks an eyebrow at me in amusement. "My, my, Kitty is bad." He flashes his vampire teeth as he grins at me.
I look frantically around the parking lot for anyone that can save me, but it's completely deserted. I wonder what happened to Adly. "What do you want?" I ask.
"You."
Robert laughs as I begin to step backward, and when I reach for the heart pendant of Sebastian's blood, I remember it's in the limo, where I took it off when I went to see Alexander. I'm dead. And something tells me becoming a vampire isn't an option.
10
Lyndsey
When Adly and I get into the house, I pull up my surfing memory to help distract me from the strong desire to break down a door to get at the human. Adly handcuffed himself to me before we entered, and he's got a firm grip on my arm as we turn down the hall to my room. I glance over my shoulder at the other end of the house, where warm blood pulses through veins I want to sink my teeth into.
"You're doing great, Lyndsey," says Adly.
I blink a few times to clear my head and turn my focus straight ahead as I grit my teeth and let out a noise of frustration. "This sucks."
"Hang on," Adly says as he pushes my door open and leads me to the bed. Chains rattle as he quickly attaches me to my restraints. The handcuff on his wrist clicks open as he removes it. "Seriously. Your control is pretty incredible."
Metal cuts into my wrists as I yank at the chains. "Not really. I'd break these and sprint down the hall to attack if I could."
