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Excerpt
I
turned back to extend my ready hand into Liam’s, letting him guide me out the
door. I let my fingers entwine with his as he led me down the steps.
“You look beautiful,”
Liam said.
“Thank you,” I said. “You
are looking quite dashing yourself.” Well, more than dashing, if I was honest.
Despite having a suit on it didn’t change the fact that every time I laid eyes
on Liam desire circled down my body like a cunning serpent. The Liam Effect,
I called it. As we reached the bottom step he stopped, ready to swoop me up
against his chest.
“Wait,” I said with my
hand to his chest.
His eyebrows lifted in
curiosity while his eyes waited patiently. “I know it’s cold but do you mind if
we walk my human pace for awhile up to the Mansion?”
Liam grinned. “Not in the
slightest.”
“Oh, and one more thing,”
I said.
“Anything,” Liam said.
Without any thought, I
raised on my toes letting my lips lead me to his just as my arms wrapped around
his neck for a small support. I felt him rest his hands against my back while
the other cupped my face intimately.
Finally after a few—too
many—minutes we pulled away. His face held the same blissful grin as me. “Sorry,” I said. “I couldn’t help myself.”
He
moved his thumb to trace my lips. “Never apologize for that.”
I smiled before looping my arm into
his, beginning our walk toward the Mansion. We walked, arm in arm, for a few
minutes until his closeness began to rouse my desire.
“You know, on second thought, you
better get me there faster. I feel I might not be able to keep from kissing you
if we keep at my human pace.”
Liam chuckled as his bright emerald
eyes drilled into me. “I know the feeling,” he said. He swooped down, pulling
me into his arms. I laid my cheek to his shoulder to avoid the chill air on my
skin just before he took off into a run. A run that had ended seconds later as
my feet hit the ground, and my hand entwined with the warmth of his again.
The sight of the mansion at night was
beautiful, with many windows allowing light from the inside. I caught sight of
Patrick walking out of the house and onto the porch. I began to smile but felt
it drop along with my stomach as I took in his expression. It was as if he had
been looking for us but hoping not to find us.
Liam’s furrowed brow at the oddity
just as Patrick’s palm rose up in protest of any further steps. We stopped.
“What’s
wrong?” I said.
I fidgeted nervously as my eyes
bounced from Patrick to Liam. Suddenly, I could see Liam’s lips. They were
moving fast but the words were at a volume I couldn’t hear. When I looked back
to Patrick I found he was doing the same. They were having a conversation that
no human could possibly detect.
I felt a twist in my stomach at the
sound of Liam’s sigh. Slowly I let my eyes meet his emerald gaze. There was no
smile anywhere on his face as his right hand moved to cup my cheek.
“Your invitation has been rescinded,”
Liam said.
My eyes widened involuntarily at the
words.
“What?” I said.
Liam closed his eyes, taking a few
seconds to gain his composure. It seemed he needed the time to control his
fury.
“Sean has decided that he no longer
wishes you to join tonight’s event.” Liam closed his eyes briefly with a pause,
as if he regretted the next words. “And it has been voted that, as his coven,
we have to respect his wishes.”
I took a step back, out of Liam’s
touch, needing space to clear my mind as my eyes darted around, searching
desperately for Sean.
“But why now?” I asked.
“I
don’t know,” Liam said.
His last word set off a trigger as my
head shifted back. I turned to Patrick’s still stance. He hadn’t moved an inch,
only dropped his hand back to his side. I opened my mind, remembering my
weapon. Something Sean had no choice but to listen to.
Atleast have the guts to tell me
yourself. Don’t send someone out to give me a message. Get out here and face me
you ass.
Less than a second had passed after
my mental curse before Sean’s feet led him through the door. His momentum kept
him moving down the porch steps, but he still paused a safe distance away.
Why?
“I don’t believe you’ll like the
answer,” Sean said.
“I can handle it,” I said.
Sean narrowed his eyes in protest.
“I’ve started to find your presence
indifferent.” I rolled my eyes.
“No, you haven’t.”
Sean chuckled without amusement. “You
wouldn’t know how it feels as an immortal. The mind changes. Things that once
consumed our human thoughts merely disappear.”
I said nothing, simply stared.
“I
began to feel your importance slipping but I thought it was
kinder to lie. But I think the lie has gone too far.”
“You’ve got to be kidding if you
think I’m that naïve,” I said.
“Let me be clear. This event tonight
is sacred to those of my kind.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then you must realize that you are
only here because it would be something I allow.”
“Does this have a point?” I said.
“Yes,” Sean said.
I sighed.
“I’m tired of walking the fence of my
former life and new one. It’s like a heavy burden. And I am ready to just let
go.”
I gulped. “You mean you want to
forget me?”
“Yes. Just like our parents. Uncle
Greg. My friends. The humans of my old life. The last, to forget, is you.”
I looked around to notice more had
joined Patrick on the porch. My gaze sat upon Lillian’s narrowed glare at Sean.
It was different than the anger from yesterday. An almost confusion. I wish
Grace could tell me what was behind it. Swiftly I looked back to Sean.
“Don’t you think that…”
“No,
even with the years Liam decides to keep you around I won’t be. You won’t see
me after tonight. This is farewell.”
Sean’s
interruption caused anger to flow up my veins into my now curled fingers.
“Well, if my presence is nothing
to you, then I guess there is no reason for me to be standing out in the cold.”
“Exactly my point,” Sean said.
“Screw you, Sean,” I said.
“At least you can be mature about
it,” Sean said.
I wanted to punch him but knowing it
was only likely to do more damage to me than him, I held my feet steady.
“You know if you’re trying to
manipulate me into leaving Liam again then you can just save your breath with
this ‘I don’t need you’ crap.” I watched as his eyes grew sterner with
my words. I turned, storming back toward the front gate.
“Emma,” Sean said.
“Yes?” I said, whirling around,
sudden hope at the sound of my name.
“Have a nice life.”
Just as quickly as he had appeared,
Sean disappeared into the mansion within a blink. I looked to the ground,
unable to bear the eyes of each Alexander in front of me. I felt Liam’s
squeeze, lifting my chin to focus on only him.
“Do
you have to stay?” I said.
“No,”
Liam said.
I
sighed grateful there wasn’t some immortal bound tradition that
would force me to be left without him.
“Then please take me anywhere but
here,” I said.
All I had to do was speak the words
before Liam swept me up into his arms. As he ran I could feel the anger
festering into something else I had felt earlier in the car with Grace. Only
this time the sadness wasn’t going away. It was real.
