One week had gone by, and the reconstruction of the Thorn Family home had begun. Alec oversaw the work himself. Once all the broken furniture was removed, he and his team went to work repairing walls, replacing light fixtures and doors. The process took three weeks. Once this was complete, he traveled to the Castle of Kings and went to see Heinrik.
“Old friend, I need your help,” Alec said.
“What can I do for you?”
“Brie wishes to redecorate our house.”
This statement brought a smile to Heinrik’s face. When Brie decorated the house the first time, she wanted practicality that was still appealing to the eye. Alec wished to please his mate, so this time he ordered high quality furnishings. He wanted to ensure that Brie was happy. Isabella might not be, because he was going to burn through the clan budget like al forest fire, but he didn’t care.
“How long has it been since you last decorated?” Heinrik asked.
“It was not long after Nikolai was born, if I am not mistaken.”
“You are long overdue.”
Alec smiled a half-smile. “You have no idea.”
“Do you want to stay within the same budget as last time?”
“Money is no concern.”
Heinrik grinned. “Are you certain?”
“Yes. I would like to commission the same decorator that decorated Master Darth’s chamber.”
“Alec, you know you cannot afford that. No one has Darth’s money.”
“Whoever it is within your clan that is willing to do this, I wish to speak with them.”
Heinrik was not a man to turn down money. “I will ask Mistress Harley to come and talk with you.”
“I would like that.”
Later, Alec spoke to Harley about the furnishings he wanted in the house. Harley was happy because her commission was going to be huge. Alec didn’t care what the cost, he was going to do just as Brie asked him to do and make it better than it was before. This way when she moved back into the house, she would be comfortable and proud.
Once his conversation with Harley was complete, Alec visited with his family who lived there, but never once mentioned that he was having problems. It was obvious Brie had not written to Xander to tell him what had happened. Alec was glad that he didn’t have to explain himself.
The following evening, he returned to the Baby Farm. Upon his arrival, he went to his room within Boris and Isabella’s chamber. He thought that he would take a shower before he got back to work. Just as he was about to get into the shower, there was a knock at the door. Alec wrapped a towel around his lower body and opened the door. When he saw who it was, he was not necessarily happy and greeted her as such.
“What do you want, Isabella?” Alec snapped.
Isabella knew him well and was accustomed to his occasional moodiness. She was ready to get him out of her chamber and back into his own residence.
“I am ready for you to get out of my house.”
“The furniture will not be ready for another two months, so you are stuck with me until then. When Brie is able to go home, I will move into my old chamber and give you and Boris your chamber back.”
“Why will you not just tell Brie who this woman is?”
“So she has spoken to you about our problem.”
“You have been here for over a month. I wish you out of my chamber. Of course she has spoken to me.”
“I am not going to tell you so that you can tell her. I am going to deal with this my own way.”
“Xander would be happy if Brie finally embraced the way of her original clan.”
“I am certain that he would. Isabella, I have just returned home. I would like to take a shower and go help Boris. I will not discuss this with you. What has happened is a matter that only my mate and I will discuss. If you will excuse me.”
“We have been close for many years. Why will you not speak to me?”
“It is as I said before. It is a family matter and only family will know. I do realize that you have told me many secrets, but I wish for this to be as private as possible. Since Brie has spoken to you, I will trust that you will not speak to anyone else. I am the one who messed up and I will be the one to repair it. I am dirty and wish to take a shower, so please excuse me, Isabella.”
Alec got up and went to take his shower, leaving Isabella standing alone. She tried. She immediately went to the nursery to tell Brie what she had learned.
“He is not going to tell me, he is not going to tell you.”
“It is okay, Isabella. I have a feeling I will never know who this mystery woman is.”
“What are you to do if you never learn her name?”
“As you know, Alec can be very stubborn when it is his wish. There is no doubt in my mind that he still loves me as he always has and he will deal with this in his own way.”
“Angeline has tried to help him with the redecoration of your house. She told me that he would not let her near it. Every time she gets close to it, someone spots her and sends her back into the castle.”
“Isabella, if I never know the name of this mystery woman, the redecoration of my house will not matter. I will be leaving.”
“What do you mean, leaving?”
“In all the time we have been together, Alec has become more important to me than even the coven’s children. I will admit that with the births of my own children, I pushed him aside. I even put my own boys above the coven’s children and I know that is something that no one would have ever expected. However, Alec is right. I love my boys. They are all men now and no longer need me, but I still love them nonetheless.”
“Brie, if you leave, what am I to do? We have been close for many years.”
“Now is not the time for you to be selfish. As my closest friend, now is the time for you to support me. No matter how bizarre and unusual my actions, I need you to support me.”
“You will really leave him?”
“If he does not tell me who this woman is, yes. I will leave him.”
“Why do you not just ask Nikolai?”
“He is as stubborn as his father and I expect he will also hold out on me. I do not see the point. That is why I did not bother to ask him. Besides, he has gone through enough.”
“Have you written to Xander?”
“I am a grown woman, Isabella. I no longer cry and whine to my father if something in my life is not quite right.”
“He is second in command of the coven and can force Alec to tell you what you want to know.”
“No. I will do this my own way, without any outside influence.”
Isabella sighed and said, “Fine. I just want him to move.”
“You are the mate of our clan leader. Why do you not just ask Boris?”
“You forget that his best friend is your mate. This is how Alec ended up in our chamber in the first place. Boris will never turn him away.”
“Well, I suppose you will have to wait. Forgive me if I have caused you any inconvenience.”
“You are as close to me as a sister. I trust you will do what is right.”
Three nights later, Alec had made up his mind. He went to Faith’s chamber, hoping to get her to listen to him. Alec knocked on the door and waited. Moments later, Faith came to the door in her robe. When she opened it she was immediately disappointed and said, “What do you want?”
“May I come in?”
“Why should I let you in?”
“Faith, please. I just want to talk.”
Faith hesitated, then backed away to allow him into her room. Her room smelled of blood and sex. Alec wondered whom in the clan she had been with, but he didn’t mention it. He didn’t want to fight with her again, because he had to regain her trust.
“Faith, forgive me.”
“Why should I?”
“We have been with each other long before Nikolai came into the picture. I do not wish to give you up.”
“Alec, you have hurt me. Why should I take you back?”
“Because I was wrong.”
“Are you saying you do love me?”
As hard as he tried to deny it, he was in love with Faith, but no one would ever know how much.
“I do care about you a great deal. I will admit that you have touched me in a way that Brie never has. With you, I am different and I like the way that feels. Please take me back. I care about you differently than I care for Brie. Does that make sense?”
“Alec, I asked you a question. Do you love me?”
“I have loved you for twenty-five years. Now you have your answer. What I wish to know is your answer. Will you take me back?”
Faith knew that Alec was the bigger fish. Nikolai ruined his chance of ever being king, but he was still the better lover. Faith, who was practically nobody, had a chance of one day being queen of the clan. She looked into his eyes to see if he was telling her the truth. After so many years, she was able to do this. She saw no deceit, and answered his question.
“Only if you will allow me to stay with Nikolai.”
“Anything you want, Faith. I just want you back.”
“You mean this?”
“I do.”
“You really love me?”
“I do.”
Faith smiled and said, “I will take you back.”
Alec was glad that she chose to do this. He grabbed her and hugged her. As he held her he said, “We will not be intimate in the castle. Brie knows that I have been unfaithful to her, but I did not give her your name, so you do not have to concern yourself with that.”
“So where can we be together?”
“Since we love each other, it should not matter. But it will definitely be outside of the castle boundaries.”
“You have made me a happy woman, Alec.”
“You are to keep our rekindled relationship a secret. You will not tell a soul. If you desire to speak with someone about us, come and talk to me. As far as Nikolai is concerned, you are to tell him that I broke it off with you and we can no longer stand the sight of one another. Is that understood?”
“I will do as you ask, as long as you continue to keep me at your side.”
“Oh yes, one more thing. If I come to see you and you have been with my son, refuse me. There is something not quite right about you being with the both of us on the same night.”
Faith smiled. “Even if I want you?”
“This is not a game, Faith. Do not joke like that. If we reveal our secret, I will lose everything, and so will you. If Brie gets wind that I am still being unfaithful to her, she will kill you and leave me.”
“I understand.”
“Very good. I will leave you to whatever it is that you were doing. I must get to work. Master Boris will be looking for me.”
Faith tilted her head to one side, gave Alec a seductive look, and said, “Kiss me before you go.”
“I will not. I have seen that look many times and you mean to be intimate with me. There is no time. We have many children in the nursery and all the birthing rooms are full. I must go.”
Alec got up and left Faith’s room. He went to the birthing wing and began his work. Faith stood there in her robe, thinking of her future. She was happy Alec wanted her back, and she was glad she took him back. She smiled and went to take a shower.
While Alec was talking to Faith, the mail carriage arrived with a letter for Tabitha. It was from Jacqueline. The two of them wrote to each other every two days in lieu of their daily conversations. Two days prior, Tabitha wrote to her best friend. They were carrying on a conversation about Kristopher.
Tabitha told her best friend that Kristopher was pressuring her to join and she refused him as she always did.
‘My dearest Jackie, here is the latest news from the Clan of Farmers. Kris still insists on joining with me and I do not know how much longer I can hold him off. He has the support of both my parents. As you know, my father is the ultimate pushover, but my mother is a different matter all together.
‘She insists that I be here, so I am here. I wish I were still there with you. I have told my mother that you have a mate but have not joined with him yet. She believed me. You know how much I hate to lie to my parents, but what else could I do. My mother would have a fit if she knew, but I will not tell of the secret between us.
‘I have been working like a dog. Granted, I love the animals, but you know I would rather taste their blood than feed them. Here, I am not free to do that. As a lady of high society, I am to drink the blood of my prey from a glass.
‘A glass? Who do they think I am? Anyway, I hope you can visit soon. I miss you. Write as soon as you get this. Love Tabitha.’
Tabitha opened the reply from Jacqueline and it said,
‘Do not give in and do not lose hope. I also tire of keeping up appearances. We as vampires are who we are and nothing can change that. I also wish you were here. I am so bored without you.
‘You, working? I can hardly believe it. I wish I could see that. You, a drinker of animal blood, feeding them and caring for them as children. Moreover, they wish for you to drink from a glass. You have never tasted your prey from a glass. However, I would suppose that since Kris has never lived with you, he would not know this.
‘I miss you with every passing day and look forward to the moment we are once again reunited. I will visit soon and we can go on as we always have. Love, Jackie.’
Tabitha sat down at the desk within the chamber she shared with Kristopher and immediately replied to Jacqueline’s letter.
‘When can I expect you? Before it gets cold, I hope. Our winters have been brutal as of late. The carriage will never make it from so far away. Please try to come before the first snow. That way we can sit in the garden and speak.
‘Jackie, I will say that the garden here is almost as spectacular as the one there. Lady Isabella has a favorite spot and the flowers in that spot are enchanted and bloom even in winter.
‘Come soon. I miss your company. Do not get me wrong, all of the ladies here are most pleasant. I particularly enjoy the conversations that I have with Regan. We have gotten to know one another and I have deemed her my “dear friend.” She loves Byron more than a woman could love a man, but I sense something within her that I cannot put a finger on. Perhaps she has a secret she has yet to share.
‘I would like it very much if the three of us could become close friends. Perhaps you could extract her secret from her, if she indeed holds one. You know how bold you are. Well, I will sign off for now. I apologize for the shortness of my letters. I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words. I wish that there were more that we could talk about. I work like a dog, Kris fucks me with all of his great ability and I love every moment of it, but I still miss you.
‘In your reply to me, I would like to hear that you are coming for a visit. Please come and see me. Love, Tabitha.’
Tabitha ended her letter just as Kristopher entered their chamber.
“Writing to Jackie again?”
“Yes. I miss her.”
“Once the two of us are joined, you will not miss her so much.”
Tabitha had just about enough of Kristopher’s speeches of them joining. She was happy with the way their relationship was and didn’t desire to change it. She spoke up and wasn’t sure Kristopher was going to like it.
“Beloved, can I speak freely?
“I have never stopped you, so go ahead.”
“I love you, but do not wish for us to join right now.”
Kristopher was confused. “Tabitha, we have been together for six years and I have loved you for eight. I wish for you to be by my side for the rest of my life. You have told my mother that you wish to join. What has changed your mind?”
“I am being rushed.”
“There is no rush, at least not from me. If that were the case, you would have felt rushed long before now. Take your time. I will not mention our joining again until you are ready.”
“Promise?”
“I promise. I am just glad that you are here.”
“Kiss me, Kris.”
Kristopher smiled and asked, “Is that all you wish?”
“Of course not,” Tabitha smiled, “kiss me again.”
Kristopher did as his woman asked, and they were intimate soon after.
Tabitha had a secret. There was another lover in her life no one knew about. That was the real reason that she wasn’t ready to join with Kristopher.
Two months later, the furniture Alec ordered had arrived. What he ordered the clan couldn’t afford, but he wasn’t concerned. Heinrik would receive his payment come hell or high water.
Several wagons pulled into the courtyard. Everything had arrived to go into the repaired Thorn house, covered to protect it from both the elements and Isabella’s eyes. Had she seen the quality of furniture that had arrived, she wouldn’t have allowed it to be unloaded. What Alec ordered for his house cost more than the furniture in the Bloodworth chamber, and that was unacceptable.
Alec met the wagons in the courtyard personally. He instructed each wagon to carefully, one by one, drive to the front door of his house and unload. He found which wagons held the master bedroom furniture. They were to unload first.
When Alec uncovered the bed frame, he was more than impressed. He had his team unload it first. They moved it to the bedroom and quickly assembled it. It was more than Alec could have dreamed. It was made of mahogany wood. The headboard was a piece of work that would make even Darth jealous. It was tall with intricate detail of near-nude people serving their god. The headboard had well-sculptured end pieces that would extend a foot along the frame. The end pieces were a work of art as well.
That wasn’t all. The footboard was very detailed, and at its tallest point was three feet. Alec was jealous that he couldn’t spend the first night in this new bed. However, he knew why, and accepted it.
The next three wagons held the remaining furniture for the room. Two low-backed living chairs with the same detail and plush cushions. A bookshelf to go along the main wall, two dressers, two chests of drawers and one exceedingly wide floor mirror. Alec, pleased at the finished room, smiled.
He then went to locate the furniture for the four remaining upstairs bedrooms. All beautiful, all just as exquisite. Afterward, he focused his attention to the floors below. The sitting room was the first thing that you would see when you came into the house. When Alec saw the furniture, he could not have been more pleased.
The sitting room furniture also made of mahogany, but in its natural state. The cushions on the sofas, chairs and ottomans, were made of brown animal hide and gold studs. ‘Beautiful’, Alec thought.
He turned his attention to the dining room. The table was made of the same wood that he chose for the entire house. The square dining room table sat twelve, enough seats for his family, including the mates of his sons. All the chairs had high backs with white cushions, and ball and claw legs.
As the table and chairs came through the door, Alec couldn’t help but think that, at least for a while, if the Bloodworths and the Thorns were to dine in the same room, two seats would be empty.
He missed Lucas. He wished he hadn’t chose to disown him, but did what he had to in order to teach Lucas a lesson and could not go back on his word.
The china cabinet completed the room, and all that was missing was the china itself. Alec had forgotten about this little detail, but remembered what captured his mate’s fancy and made a note to go back to the Castle of Kings to order it straight away.
Brie heard all of the commotion going on and decided to take a break from her duties. She went to the highest balcony in the castle so that she wouldn’t be seen and watched Alec make things right. She was very impressed at the quality of furniture that Alec purchased for her house. She thought, ‘He loves me. He really loves me. Isabella is going to kill him, but he loves me.’ Brie continued to watch the goings on. She always knew that Alec was a good worker, but in all the years they had been together, had never witnessed it. She then thought, ‘I will not leave him. I will not forgive him, but I will not leave him.’
As she stood on the balcony watching Alec work, she felt a familiar presence and turned to say, “He is working hard.”
“He loves you. He messed up and will do everything in his power to fix it. Take him back, Brie,” Boris said to his longtime friend.
“He has done something to me that he never has before. He has wounded me. I do not know if it is in me to do that,” Brie lied.
“We are above friendship, you, and me. We have now moved into family status. You have become my sister and I can tell when you are lying to me.”
Brie smiled. “I have forgotten. I have been your friend for quite some time. It takes me a moment to remember that I cannot hide anything from you. Yes, Boris, you are right. I do love him and I realize that he loves me. Again, I say he has wounded me. I do not know how to deal with this.”
“At least talk to him. Allow him to look at you. This will go a long way in the healing process.”
“He is not allowed such luxuries. When he reveals the name of his mistress, or former mistress, whichever the case, is when it can happen.”
Boris joined Brie at the railing and watched his friend work. “Look at what he is doing for you.”
“He is doing this because he cannot live there if he does not make the necessary repairs. He and Nik destroyed my house, and he alone broke my heart.”
“And why can he not live there? You, his mate will not allow it. You stand here on this balcony, watching him do just as you asked and you still do not want him in your bed.”
“Boris, the subject is dead. I get the name of the woman who he has been with, or I will leave him.”
“Alec Thorn is your life. I believe that you are extremely angry with him, but you will not leave him.”
“I suppose you are thinking of yourself, as always. I leave Alec and he snaps in half, leaving you with the mess. Boris, I need the name of this woman so I, myself, will not snap in half. I am surprised that it has not already happened. I miss him. I yearn for him. However, if I do not get what I want, I will leave him. I am sorry if this puts a burden on you. Please forgive my selfishness.”
“Sister, I understand where you are coming from, but please, for my and the clan’s sake, please speak with him before you decide to leave him. If this is your choice, make sure he understands before you leave.”
“I will think upon it. If you do not mind, I wish to be alone to contemplate my emotions. I cannot do that with you standing here.”
“Choose wisely, sister. I know you love him as I do, but do not leave me to clean up if you choose to leave. I do that enough on a daily basis.”
Two days later, the house was finished. Everything was remade, save the personal touches. Alec did all that he could do, and was satisfied with the results. He walked through every room of his redecorated home and was happy. He hoped that Brie would be as well.
How would she know that all of his hard work was finished? He had no choice but to speak to her. She hadn’t allowed him a glance in three months. How would this work? Alec decided that the direct approach was best. He looked at his watch, and knew exactly where she was. He prepared himself. He was to go into the nursery and face her.
Alec walked into her office and quietly said, “Forgive me, mistress, for looking upon you. I realize that I have invaded your space, but you can now move back into your house. I have repaired it and replaced all the furniture and fixtures. You may now go home, and I will occupy the room that you vacate. I will stay away from you because you wish it. There are minor details within your dwelling that I will soon rectify, but for the most part, it is once again whole.
“I tire of both Boris and Isabella’s nagging. I wish to be free from them. When you move from our old room, back into your house, I will be allowed the solitude that I desire. For without you, without the boys, my existence means nothing.”
Once he was finished with his speech, Brie stood straight up and examined him before she spoke. Being so close to him gave her goose bumps. Her heart was racing, and her palms began to sweat. She wanted so much to hold him close to her, but her pride wouldn’t let her. Against her will, she spoke to him and said, “I appreciate all you have done, Alec. I will move into the newly rebuilt home, but until I get a name, you will sleep alone. That was our agreement.”
“It was not so much our agreement, as it was yours. However, I will honor your choice. I have missed you, Brie. I want to come home. When I do, I will make love to you, as I have never done before. If you accept this, I will never leave your side again.”
“But will you tell me the name of your lover?”
“I have made a choice on what to do with her. I will not reveal her name until my task has been completed.”
“Then you will continue to sleep without me. Do you not realize what your choice is doing to me? Because of this, I have said aloud that I would eat her flesh. I vowed never to eat one’s flesh. That is the reason that I am here at the farm.
“But for you Alec, I will do anything. I love you and have for many years. I will do the bidding of my father to get you back, but until you reveal her name, I will do nothing. Understand this, beloved. I have said more than I desire to say to you at this point. Give me her name and we will move forward. Without it, I will kiss you one last time and leave you here. You will not disrespect me without reason or cause. Do I make myself clear?”
“I am not ready to reveal her name, but I do understand you, my love. You will have your answer in seven days. If I go past that time, remind me. Seven days, you will have an answer from me.”
“All right Alec, I will give you the time you desire. If I do not have a name by the end of the seventh day, I will leave you alone to mill around in our five-bedroom house alone. Leave me now. I do love you, but do not wish to see you.”
He said what he came to say and when she said leave, he had no choice but to do so. He went into the chamber that he shared with the Bloodworths, sat down in the nearest chair, put his face in his hands, and cried.
It was hard to be near Brie and not hold her. He wanted so badly to reach out, grab her by the waist, and kiss her deeply. She denied him this, because he screwed up. Alec was now going to have to do what he didn’t wish to do. What he was going to do was going to disrupt many lives; however, Brie was worth it. If found out, he was going to be in huge trouble. Nonetheless, the woman he loved for more than a century was going to take him back.
Two days later, Alec went to see Faith. He hoped that she was alone. More so, he hoped that she had recently been with someone. This was going to make it easier for him to do what he had to do.
He knocked on her door. Faith opened it in her robe, stepped back, and let him in. Alec smelled blood and sex. The room was very humid which meant she had been with someone only moments before he knocked and had just gotten out of the shower.
Alec turned to her. “Was it Nikolai?” He asked quietly.
“No.”
“Get dressed. I wish to have you.”
“Where are we going?”
“Meet me in the clearing behind the grove of black wood trees. It is there that I shall have you.”
“I will be there.”
“Stay in the shadows and do not be seen.”
Faith smiled. “I am of the Clan of the Night. I can do this.”
“See you there.”
Alec left her room and went to the clearing to wait for her. Nikolai hadn’t begun to clear the land, so it was perfect for what Alec had planned. The grass was tall and no one could see them.
Minutes after Alec arrived; Faith stepped from the shadows and startled him. He jumped and went to her. He grabbed her around the waist and kissed her passionately. It wasn’t a kiss of love. Pure lust was behind his intentions.
“I have missed your sweet kisses,” Faith said, as she pulled gently pulled away from him.
Alec said nothing and ripped open her blouse to reveal her breasts. He took them in his hands and massaged them before he put them in his mouth and tasted them. He raised her skirt to find that she was not wearing any panties. While Faith was getting dressed, she thought, ‘What is the point?’ This made Alec happy. He stuck his middle finger in her sex and began to masturbate her. Faith moaned. Alec stuck two more fingers inside her and increased the pressure. She began to move against his motions and moaned louder. When she reached climax, Alec removed his hand from between her legs, put it in his mouth, and licked his hand clean.
He was ready. He took her by the hand and led her to the blanket that was in the middle of the clearing. “Get down on your knees,” he said quietly. Faith did exactly as Alec said. Alec didn’t want to waste time with her clothing. He removed his pants. His erection bobbled in front of her like a tasty treat. “Suck me and do not stop until I reach orgasm.”
Faith took his manhood in her mouth and pleasured Alec. He enjoyed every minute of it. He moaned quietly until he reached climax and then Faith swallowed his juices until there were no more. “Get on your hands and knees,” he demanded.
Faith again did as Alec said. Alec spread her sex wide and pushed into her. This was his favorite position. He pounded her relentlessly and brought her to climax more than once. He was ready to do what he finally brought her out of the castle to do. Alec pulled out of her and said, “Lay on your back.”
Faith lay down and Alec entered her again. He continued to probe her sex with everything he had. He brought her to orgasm, leaned over, and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Faith.”
With tears in his eyes, he reached for the black wood pike he had hidden in the grass and stabbed her twice. He held her in his arms as she quietly died.
Two days passed and Alec managed to get back on track. He buried Faith’s body where eventually someone would find her, but not until Nikolai would start construction on his house. Alec was now ready to apologize to Brie and tell her what she wanted to know. Brie couldn’t kill Faith because she was already dead. Alec had saved Brie from certain doom by doing this. He went to the nursery and walked into her office. Brie looked up at him. “What is her name?”
“Faith.”
“Faith Valentine?”
“Yes.”
Brie stood up. “Thank you. If you will excuse me, I have something that I have to do.”
Brie attempted to walk past Alec. He caught her by the arm and said, “Wait. You cannot do what it is you are thinking.”
“I most certainly can.”
“You cannot, because she is no longer here.”
“I will wait until she returns.”
Alec sighed. “She is not coming back. ”
Brie looked at Alec and saw a look on his face that she hadn’t seen since his parents died. “You killed her,” she whispered.
“I did it for you. Now you are safe. You will not have a trial nor will you die. You will take this secret to your grave.”
“Alec, why did you do this?”
“Because I want you back. This was the only way to keep you here. Please, forgive me.”
“Emma is certain to miss her.”
“Yes, she will. She is in a place where someone will find her. By the time this happens, they will identify her only by her clothing. No one in the castle can take blame for her death, not even you. Only you and I will know the truth.”
Brie stood and looked at Alec in his very sad eyes. In his eyes, she saw that he didn’t wish to kill Faith. She saw what he had done hurt him deeply. She was not certain if that made her feel good about the situation or not. However, he did what he did for her. He did it because he loved her, and she still loved him desperately.
Her heart was beating rapidly and her goose bumps had returned. Tears began to roll down her face as she stared into his beautiful eyes. Alec reached up with his finger and gently brushed a tear away. She did not step back from him. She allowed him to touch her. Alec paused for a moment to see if she was going to say something. Instead, she reached around his neck, pulled him close, and kissed him.
This brought Alec to tears. His were tears of joy. He held her tighter than he had in a very long time and kissed her. This kiss told her how much he loved her and missed her. This kiss told her that he was sorry for what he had done. He would never stray away from her again. This kiss told her he wanted to make love to her. He picked her up and carried her all the way to their house. He took her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. There, he made love to her, as he never has before. He loved her desperately and meant to show her just how much.
When they were finished, Alec quietly lay next to Brie and thought about how stupid he was. He rolled up on his elbow, smiled and said, “I am happy to be next to you again. I do not know what I would have done without you.”
Brie reached up, stroked his cheek, and said, “I may have left, but I could not have stayed away. I also revolve around you. You are my sunshine and my light as well.”
Alec was happy to be home in his own bed. “How do you like your house?”
“You spent too much money, Alec. I was watching you unload all of this.”
“But do you like it?”
“I love it. Thank you. I am happy that you are here to share it with me for a time.”
“For all time.”
Brie smiled and said, “Only until Isabella sees it. Then she is going to kill you.”
Alec laughed and kissed Brie on the lips.
One week later, Nikolai was in deep need to see Regan. He had fought with himself about his feelings for her and decided what to do about it. He knew that Byron was in the catacombs that night, and it was Regan’s night off from the nursery. He decided he would go see her.
Nikolai knocked on his brother’s bedchamber door and Regan opened it. She didn’t say one word because her heart was beating a mile a minute.
“Can I come in?” Nikolai asked.
Regan backed away, allowing him to enter her chamber. She closed the door behind him. “What do you want, Nik?” She asked.
Nikolai didn’t bother giving her an answer. He charged at her, but she quickly backed away. She backed away as far as the wall would let her and waited to see what was going to happen. Nikolai looked into her beautiful brown eyes and said, “I want you. Do not refuse me.”
He didn’t wait on her answer and kissed her. Regan pulled away from him. “I cannot go on like this. You must release me from your spell.”
Nikolai kissed her feverishly about the neck and shoulders. “I have made a mistake and so have you. We both desire one another more than appearances will allow. Let us make our love public.”
Regan pushed him back. “You have told me we were never to fall in love with one another. I will admit I do care for you, but I still love Byron. He is my mate.”
“You have not fully committed to him yet. When you join with him, then you can refuse me in this way. For now, you may love whom you wish. Choose me, Regan. Please choose me.”
Regan moved away from Nikolai. Though she wanted him, she was having mixed feelings. “Nik, I do not blame you for falling for Angeline at such a young age. She is a beautiful woman and you are very lucky. I myself was only sixteen when I committed to Byron, but it is as I said. I cannot hurt him. I refuse to hurt him. You know that.
“Angeline loves you in the same manner and I know you love her as well. Forget about me. Move on with your life. What we do here will only hurt our family. Please, release me from your spell.”
Nikolai was angry at her words. “Is this what you truly want?”
“Yes. Please do not make me choose.”
“Fine. You will no longer have a choice. I will not release you from my spell, but use it to torment you. If I am being intimate with Angeline, and wish to have you join us, you will. If I am gathering donors two miles away, you will travel those two miles to be with me. I wanted you to want me Regan. I did not wish to have you be a slave to me.”
“I do want you, Nik. That is the problem. Our family has gone through enough over the past year. I do not wish to add to that.”
Nikolai’s anger subsided. “You do not wish to hurt our family? Come now, Regan, you are no longer the innocent, beautiful sixteen-year-old human girl my brother fell in love with. You are vampire. A twenty-one-year-old beautiful vampire, and you really do love me. I have bewitched you, but only a little. My powers wear off after a time. When they do, I leave my victims with what I have given them. A little bit of me.
“Most of them, I promised love and never gave. Now they hate me because my powers have worn off. Some of them still desire me, but it is within their own minds that they believe I still possess them. In some ways, you are like the latter of the two, yet different. I have touched you with my powers. I have made sweet love to you while you were under my spell, and it was then and only then, that I possessed you. I have not touched you in a very long time, am I right?”
“Yes.”
“It has been over six months. My powers have certainly worn off by now, yet you still kiss me as if you were under my spell. Why?”
“You are lying.”
“No, I am telling you the truth. Why do you think it is that you kiss me in this way?”
“I do not know.”
“Regan, it is because you love me. I have fought for many months within my own mind what to do about you. Tonight, I decided to let go and be free. That is why I am here. I want you to do the same. Love me like you know you want to and you will also be free.”
“We can never be together like we want.”
“Then we will be secret lovers. I will be your brother and your lover. Regan, please do not refuse. You do not realize what you have done to me. At first, I only wanted your blood. As the years passed and you grew older, I wanted more, but could not come anywhere near you because you were still human. Now look at you. You are like me, and we want each other. Love me like you know you want to and you will also be free.”
Regan could no longer refuse him. She pulled him close to her and he kissed her again. Nikolai wanted to be with her, but he knew he couldn’t. He had to leave or risk being caught being intimate with her.
“I will find a place for us, so we can be together. I will let you know where that is for now I must leave you. If I stay, I risk our secret getting out. I will see you soon, my love.”
“Nik how is it possible to be in love with two people at the same time?”
“It is easy, my dear, you simply have to love one of them a little less than the other. I will see you soon.”
Nikolai walked out of the room and left Regan hot, bothered, and confused. Now she was suffering from Nikolai’s previous condition. How could she love Byron and Nikolai? If what he said was true, which one of them was she supposed to love a little less?