Chapter 62

ARIC

Eleanor fell asleep on my bed almost immediately.

I left her, looking divine in her underwear and a thin tank top, her long legs twisted in my sheets, to go up to the living room where I heard my family discussing.

When I stepped into the room, my parents leapt toward me.

“How dare you!” Mother snarled at me.

“How dare I what?”

“Tear her from a human life! This is not what I wanted for her!”

“What about what she wants, Mother?” I snapped back.

Mother bristled. Father, standing behind her, frowned at me.

“She didn’t make this decision; Aric; you and I both know that. How could you do that to her?” Mother continued.

“I didn’t ~do~ anything to her!” I roared. “Mother, I told her to get on the plane. I pushed her out the door.”

“We know you did. But she wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t seduced her,” she snarled.

“I didn’t seduce her any more than she did me, Mother,” I snapped back. “We fell for each other.”

Mother was glaring at me. “Of all the purebloods, of all the vampires and human women in the world, Aric, why did you choose her?” She sounded exasperated.

Father placed his hands on her shoulders. Mother leaned back into him, breathing out heavily.

“Because she made me feel the same way you make Father feel,” I answered, my gaze meeting my father’s.

Though he also didn’t like the idea of Eleanor and I being together, of me bringing her here and putting her at risk again, I knew that he understood me.

Mother glared at me. “Do you love her? Is that what you’re saying? Love her enough to spend a practically immortal life with her?”

I met my mother’s sapphire gaze. “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I answered.

Mother glared at me, and then she let out a heavy sigh.

“Does she love you?” This time, it was Father asking. I met his gaze.

“I think so. Yes, she said so,” I replied. “But it’s not just about me. It’s you too. She misses all of you. She chose this life. She was adamant in the car.”

“It’s too late now anyway,” Father stated. “Aric, do you need to feed?” I nodded, giving him a grateful smile.

“Yes, being around Eleanor makes me thirsty all the time.” I chuckled.

“I remember.” Mother gave me a small smile. They stepped back and allowed me to enter the room. A boar hung from the ceiling, wrapped in chains, its blood dripping into a wine decanter.

Venus sat on one of the armchairs sipping a glass of boar blood. Behind her, Henry stood talking with James. Selene and Orion were cuddled up on the sofa, each sipping their own drinks.

Grace stood by her brother; her gaze fixed on me. She moved quickly and brought me a glass of boar blood. I thanked her.

She gave me a short, curt nod and drifted back to James, wrapping her arms around his waist. He pulled her in front of him and pressed his lips to her temple.

“So, what now?” Venus asked, wrapping a long coil of her strawberry blond hair around her finger. She met Mother’s gaze.

“Now,” Mother breathed out heavily, casting me a small scowl. “Now Eleanor is finally home, where she belongs. Now we must protect her.”

“Just to be clear”—James sipped his drink and gave me a big grin—“Aric, are you sleeping with your sister?” He snickered.

I growled at him. Father cleared his throat. Orion chuckled.

“Shut up, James,” Orion said coolly. I felt Grace’s gaze on mine.

“To make it clear”—I met each of their gazes—“Eleanor and I are a couple. Yes, I love her. And yes, she’s staying in my room, by my side, no exceptions.”

James snickered and grinned at me.

“How do you handle her scent?” Henry scowled, wrinkling his nose. “I would have emptied her a thousand times by now.”

“Self-control.” I arched my brows.

“Now that that’s clear,” Mother pursed her lips, “the situation is that Eleanor is obviously still alive, still human, and I’m pretty certain every pureblood is now aware of that fact.”

“How has the king reacted? Do we know?” Selene asked.

“He was very pissed,” Venus replied. “Phoenix texted me. She’s on her way here with Alex. The king sent him to confirm the rumors.

“And obviously for your wedding. Though, Eloise really didn’t have any doubts about it being Eleanor.”

“When do they arrive?” Orion asked.

“Tomorrow evening, early,” Venus answered quickly.

“Elizabeth and Damon should also be on their way.” Mother glanced at Father; he nodded slowly.

“Our parents will also be here by tomorrow,” Henry added. “For the wedding. Is that still happening?

“Of course,” Grace snarled at him. She looked around the room. “My wedding is going to be the evening after tomorrow. No negotiation. I really don’t care what state the human is in.”

“I believe Eloise and her parents will also be arriving soon. The whole Shahalia clan will come here for the wedding. Along with the Takao clan and the M’bah-ilamoko clan,” Venus said. I groaned.

“So, do we try to hide Eleanor during the day? Get her out of here before the wedding?” James asked.

“I tried getting her on a plane yesterday. She refused. She wanted to come home.” I met Mother’s gaze.

“What does she want, Aric? Because we cannot fight off our whole family if they’ve come here to kill her again,” Venus said dryly. Mother hissed at her words.

“She hasn’t told me explicitly, but I assume she wants to be turned,” I breathed.

Mother let out a heavy sigh. Father moved to her and rubbed his arms up and down her arms, comforting her.

“Would the king accept that?” Grace asked softly.

“The crime was against adopting. We haven’t adopted her again, and we can turn whatever human we like, whenever we like. I don’t see why not,” I answered.

“Another crime was committed,” Father said. “My crime. Of faking her death, lying to the king and the entire royal family.

“I will make this very clear, I’m the only one who will suffer the consequences.” His gaze was cold.

“Demetrius,” Mother breathed.

“You are his nephew. He won’t hurt you.” Orion scowled.

“I agree. My mother wouldn’t let him. But banishment isn’t off the table.”

I ran my fingers through my hair. “Venus, can you contact Phoenix? We need as much information as we can get,” I asked.

My sister nodded and pulled out her phone, texting her twin. Henry moved to her side, perching on the arm of her chair, pulling her hair back gently.

“Where does this leave us with the human?” Orion asked, pursing his lips. “Do we turn her tonight?”

“No!” Mother snapped. “We keep her safe. We keep her close.”

“I cannot fake her death again.” Father chuckled. “That was a one-trick horse. We don’t really have a choice anymore, Rose, she took it from us.

“She made her decision. She came here, knowing full well that we would be forced to turn her.”

Mother was glaring up at him. “I want to give her time.”

“I won’t turn her tonight, Mother,” I breathed. “I will give her all day tomorrow to make a final decision.

“She can still leave tomorrow during the day, get on a plane. Fly away. Spend the rest of her life running from us.”

“So, we wait? For a human to decide for us?” Henry scoffed.

“Yes, we wait. And if our family decides to attack us, if the king decides to banish us, if Elizabeth decides to kill Eleanor no matter if she’s human or vampire, then I will take her, and I will run.

“I’m ready to do so, just like I was fifteen years ago,” I said gently, meeting Mother’s gaze. “I won’t let go of her ever again.”

Mother nodded slowly. “That may be best.”

She scraped her fingers through her hair, emptied her drink, and turned to Demetrius. “Now, you, stop ignoring your mother’s calls and find out when she’ll get here.

“The rest of you, I suggest we get some sleep and finish off this boar. We still have a wedding to prepare for tomorrow, and Grace, many are guests arriving.

“Is it possible that we could hide Eleanor among the human snacks? We’ll see.” She gave us all curt nods. “To bed.”

Selene and Orion were the first to slink off behind Mother and Father. Venus and Henry settled back into the sofa, Venus already calling her twin for updates.

I turned to the boar, filling my cup up to the brim and downing it in one go. James moved to my side and clapped me on the back while Grace slipped downstairs.

“She really grew up fast,” he said with a chuckle. “A real woman.”

I arched my brows at him.

“A really attractive human. I had forgotten how good she smelled.”

He grabbed a cup of blood as well. “I’m happy for you, Aric. Truly. And for her. I was surprised, considering how bloodthirsty I’ve seen you be with humans.

“I can only imagine the amount of self-control.” He let out a low whistle. “But it also makes sense. You were always very close, even when he was a child.

“I can see how happy you make her. I can’t imagine anyone else is good enough for her.” He grinned at me. “But just so you know, you hurt my baby human cousin, and I’ll pound you into an early grave.”

I chuckled, downing my second cup. “She’s really become a whole new creature, hasn’t she?” I mused.

He nodded in agreement. “Yes, not quite human, not quite a vampire. Sexy, yet also like a little pet,” he mused.

I nodded in agreement.

We walked downstairs to the old dungeons that James’s family had turned into their rooms. James slipped into his room with a grin.

Pausing outside my door, I could hear Eleanor’s soft breathing, the beating of her heart; her thick sweet scent was already filling me.

“Aric,” I turned to see Grace moving toward me, her arms wrapped around her slender shape. Something had changed. It was clear to me my attraction to her had dwindled.

“Grace,” I gave her a small smile.

“So, you chose a human.” She arched her brows, trying, I could tell, to keep the bitterness out of her tone.

“Yeah, I did.”

“She might not survive the turn,” Grace answered, her gaze meeting mine, her lips pursed. “Does she know that? Does she know that only twenty percent of humans survive the turn?

“Does she realize that she will have to die again, in agony, and endure the worst physical trauma her body has ever known as she shifts into an entirely different species?

“Did you tell her about the bloodlust? Is she ready to never see the sun again? To serve purebloods the rest of her long life?” Her tone was sharp.

I scowled at her. “She won’t serve purebloods. She’ll be mine, and I’ll be hers.”

“Does she know you’ll always be stronger and more powerful than her?”

“Grace, where are you going with this?” I snapped.

“I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing. I want to make sure ~she~ knows what she’s decided to do. Give up her whole life because she has a crush on you?” she scoffed.

“She doesn’t have a crush on me, Grace. We love each other. And she doesn’t only have me. She has her whole family, who all love her and cherish her. And they will, all her life.”

Grace bit down on her bottom lip, her dark eyes meeting mine, flashing red. “Fine, Aric, but think it over. If you really love her, should you be doing this to her?

“Does she want children? Does she want to grow old with someone? Have you asked her? Because most humans want that.”

She shrugged lightly, then slipped away, disappearing into James’s room.

I watched her walk away, then pushed my door open and slipped into the room where I was met with Eleanor, sitting up, her hair sticking up at an odd angle, her shirt was half fallen down her chest, her eyes wide.

“What did she say about only twenty percent survive?” she squeaked.