I blow air through my nose. “They were together for nearly seven years. Not a hair had been touched on that girl. Not until you two showed up.”
“No. Until Xera began getting her revenge.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that, at any point, Alaric could’ve revealed what you two were up to, and it might have saved Sydni from an eternal life of feeding off blood to survive.”
A growl vibrates from him, which betternotbe directed at me. I’m only telling him the truth. “Do I regret not telling her? Yes. Regardless of what you both think, I care about Sydni.”
“I have no doubt you do.” As I finish my sentence I look up at him, his yellow eyes shifting to mine. “What do you gain from helping him?”
“Me, nothing. I’m doing this for Sydni at this point. Not for you, not for Xeraphine, and definitely not for Alaric.”
“You sure as shit seemed keen on getting my girl?—”
“For Sydni.” We come to a stop and he runs his hand up through his gray hair. “The Fallen’s motives are simple. He wants Xeraphine to help him create a new, superior race, as a middle finger to the Gods that cast him out for being merciful. I get it”—he puts a hand up, giving me an expression ofsettle down there is a but coming— “but I don’t think it’s right. If she doesn’t want to help him, that’s that. Him falling from grace for not killing achildis fucked, and I feel like we can both agree on that.”
That’ll be the only thing I’ll ever be grateful for. Him not ending my girl before she even had the chance to fight. However, his motives pissme off. Why is it that everyone wants what’s mine? Him. Her mother. Lars.Belialhimself.
Why? Why,why,why?!
“He’ll never have her,” I say flatly.
Brice sighs. “I know… and he knows that with you—her Mark—being in her life, that it’ll never happen.”
Something in the way he says it makes me pause my next thought. He’s staring at me, giving me this moment, because his words weren’t random—they weren’t a slip-up. They were purposeful.
“Is he…”
With a heavy sigh, he shakes his head. “I’m not… informed,ho’omaopopo, of the entire thing. But, killing a Succubae’s Mark is eternal damnation no matter who does it. Even if Xera were to end your life, it would damn her. What that means, I’m unsure.”
“You are lucky, Vampire, that you are who you are.”
I’d wondered what he had meant by that statement, but now it makes sense.
“I’m telling you to be careful. Sydni loves you.” He turns his head slightly, as if listening, before continuing, “And she loves Xeraphine more than I think she’ll ever love anyone else. I can’t see her lose any more than she already has.”
When our gazes meet, there is clarity in what he is silently saying. Loyalty; it is branded into Werewolves at birth, and beats within them as though their own hearts. It’s very clear where that lies now, and it is with my butterfly.
“Thank you,” I say, ready to head back as it felt like this conversation was done. However, he grabs my bicep and ceases my movements.
“He wouldn’t raise a blade to your throat.” He lowers his voice to a mere whisper. “But wouldn’t stop someone else from doing so.”
Chapter 30
Xeraphine
This place is everything the little girl in me once dreamed about. The smell of nature is calming, giving me a sense of freedom. While it will take me a long time before I can swim in any open body of water, I do enjoy looking at the lake that stretches as far as my eyes can see.
If there were ever a moment I could wish for a normal life, it would be now. This trip being nothing more than a family vacation, with Kairhyse bringing me here to enjoy bonfires, swimming, and incredible sex. To wake up to him making me pancakes, sipping coffee to shake off the late night we had.
For us to have peace.
For me to be happy.
But as always, my life doesn’t work like that. There’s no delusion strong enough to make me believe in that fairytale daydream. I’m more likely to lick Brice’s tail than ever see it come true, and sadly, I’ve never been more confident of anything in my life.
I’m not physically exhausted, but mentally, I’m spent. It’s not just Tali I’m dodging anymore—now, I’m living with another stalker. Alaric’s motives for helping me are as selfish as my mother’s. And then there’s Belial. I have no fucking clue what he wants. Why he insists on keeping me safe is beyond me. No, I shouldn’t phrase it like that. Imagining the ruler of the Beyond wanting me protected feels… wrong.
I’d love to have a chat with him. Maybe punch him a few times.
