Chapter 13

HAVEN

Damn. Whoever was calling better have a good reason. I didn’t want to be interrupted during my private time with Grace. If it was the other vampires, they could wait until nightfall.

The ringtone stopped, only to start up again. Shit.

I glanced at Grace, and she was pouting. She felt the same way I did. I really needed to apply some lotion to her butt or she’d end up with bruises. I sighed, looking back at her.

“I didn’t want to stop either, sweetheart, but it seems they won’t leave us alone until I answer.”

“I understand,” she said, giving me a small smile. “If it’s work, then it’s important. I can wait.”

Her fingers traced a path up my chest until she grabbed my neck, pulling me into a kiss. I teased her tongue with mine, and she hummed in pleasure against my lips. I wanted her again, but now wasn’t the time.

“After my call, we’ll see if we have time for another round,” I murmured against her lips. “If not, I’ll take you to your grandmother’s to get your things. You’re moving in with me.”

“What?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise. “But we... Isn’t it too soon? And we’re going to be working together. What will your employees think?”

“I don’t give a damn what they think about my relationship with you.” I shrugged. “Vampires are possessive, my sweet Grace, and I want you close as much as possible.”

We climbed out of the tub, and she seemed to be mulling over what I’d said. I wanted to mark her as mine as soon as possible, and for that, I needed her to agree to live here with me.

The other vampires would soon find out about us, and they’d try to hurt her. I couldn’t let that happen.

I’d turn her after she had all the kids she wanted. Otherwise, she’d never be able to have them. Cursed vampires like me could reproduce, but...turned ones couldn’t since they were essentially dead.

I wrapped a towel around myself and headed to the bedroom to take the call. I recognized the number on the caller ID, and I knew it wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation.

“Silas,” I said.

“Brother! It’s so good to hear from you,” Silas said cheerfully.

It wasn’t. The last time I saw him was in 1830, and I nearly killed him. I’d told him to never show his face to me again.

He was my little brother, but he’d killed too many of my humans before. I wouldn’t let that monster anywhere near Grace. He was capable of attacking her just for fun.

“What do you want?” I asked, my tone firm.

I felt Grace’s hands on my waist as she pressed her naked body against my back. Damn, it felt good. She started stroking my stomach, moving up to my chest.

I was tempted to close my eyes and enjoy her touch, but I needed to focus on my brother. He was not to be underestimated.

“It’s been a while, so I thought we could...catch up?”

That was unlike him. We never “caught up.” We usually exchanged “death threats” and “brawls.” Something had happened, and it must be big if he was turning to me for help.

“What did you do this time?” I growled.

Grace kissed my back, making me want to sigh, but I held back. She was being naughty again. Her fingers moved lower on my stomach, and I frowned, thinking she wouldn’t dare do more while I was on the phone. But she did.

She started stroking my length, which soon hardened for her. I wanted to moan, but I couldn’t while talking to my brother, or he’d know I had someone special to me. I had to protect her, even when she wasn’t aware of the danger.

“Nothing! I swear,” Silas countered, sounding amused. “I just...killed the Lady of the Lord of Paris. She was human, so I thought it was no big deal but...he’s really pissed. You’re stronger, so I need you to hide me for a while. Can you do that for your brother?”

“No! Absolutely not,” I snapped at him.

Even Grace’s caresses weren’t enough to make me forget the words I’d just heard. She jolted at the anger in my voice and stopped touching me. I didn’t want that. I needed to make sure she was okay.

I pulled her into my arms, and she snuggled against my chest, wrapping her arms tightly around me. Having her close was enough to help me keep my cool.

“How can you do this to me?” Silas growled. “I’m your brother! If father hears about it...”

“If father hears that you killed a lady, he’ll have your head himself,” I cut him off. “This is a serious crime, and we can’t get involved.”

“But it was an accident, okay!” Silas snapped. “I didn’t mean to kill her. You know how fragile humans are. I just took too much blood.”

“Your fangs should never have been in her neck in the first place. I suppose that wasn’t the only thing you did to her, right? You fucked her too?” I sighed, exasperated.

“Of course I did! She begged me for it, said her husband wasn’t satisfying her anymore and she felt lonely.”

“Now you have to face the consequences, Silas. You know better than anyone that ladies are off limits. I’ll call Dad and see what he decides. In the meantime, I hope you’re hiding and far away from Paris?”

“Of course. Who do you think I am?” He snorted. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

I sighed heavily. Shit, I didn’t want to talk to my parents now. They had four children, and Silas and I were the last to not be married. My sisters all had husbands and children, and my mom was starting to get annoyed with both of us for taking so long.

I’d always told her I was holding out for my soulmate, while Silas... Silas was always messing around and getting himself into hot water. This time, though, he’d really done it.

I glanced down at Grace, her eyes meeting mine, a smile playing on her lips, content in my arms. I was determined to shield her from the mess my brother was. I’d never let him hurt her.

“Who was that?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

“That was my little brother,” I replied. “He’s in a bit of a bind. He killed the Lady of Paris.”

“A lady is...a lord’s wife?”

“Yeah, baby. It’s a serious crime, so I need to talk it over with my dad. He’s the only one who can help Silas now.” I let out a sigh.

“Are you two close?”

“Not exactly.” I laughed lightly. “We spend more time threatening to kill each other than actually bonding. I get along better with my little sisters, but they’re married to other lords now and have their own families. They can’t handle our reckless brother, so it’s up to my parents and me.”

“What does that make me, then?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I gently lifted her chin so she was looking directly at me. I could see the fear in her honey-colored eyes, the fear that I would push her away. She thought I held all the power over her destiny, but in reality, she was the one in control.

Humans didn’t experience the soulmate connection like we did. She couldn’t hear my blood calling out to her like I could, so if anyone should be feeling insecure, it was me.

I knew about her past, so her reaction was understandable. Was it time to tell her? If Silas was going to be an issue, maybe she should know everything. Maybe she would accept my mark more readily. It was worth a try.

“To be a lady, you need to bear the mark of a lord. It’s kind of like our version of marriage,” I explained.

“Does that mean that...you can only marry another vampire?”

Her voice was filled with disappointment and hurt. I gave her a soft smile to reassure her, and she dared to meet my gaze again.

“Not necessarily,” I said, leaving it at that. I didn’t want to scare her, especially since she was already having a hard time adjusting to living with me. I was still committed to taking things slow.

“Is a mark...permanent?” she asked.

“No. A stronger vampire can erase it. It’s rare, but it happens occasionally when we find our soulmates. Soulmates are rare but so precious. Even hundreds of years of marriage can’t compare.”

She was about to ask me something else, and I knew what it was before she even opened her mouth. I was ready to tell her, but the phone interrupted us again.

It was probably my dad, given his telepathic abilities. I placed a finger on Grace’s lips and picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“It’s me,” came the icy voice of my father. “Your mother has seen that Silas is in trouble again. Explain everything, Haven.”

I knew this was going to take a while, and my peaceful evening with Grace was officially over. Damn it.