Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
“What’s going on here?” Simone marched into Devon’s office but stopped when Frederick and Jamison took a step toward her.
I tugged on Simone’s caftan. Any other day, she’d spin around, fangs dropped, and if I was lucky, would only glare and not strike out. Today, she took it for the warning it was. Don’t mess with the dreamwalking. It was obvious by the way the chairs had been placed so the occupants faced each other that this was voluntary.
“Hey, there you are.” Lucas walked in with Bella at his side, each carrying a tray of food and a glass pitcher of what looked like sangria.
They set the trays on the table in the sitting area. Lucas had a book under his arm, and he dropped it next to the tray.
Simone turned on them, repeating her earlier question. “What’s going on here?”
Lucas glanced around the room and recognition blossomed in his gaze. “Oh, Colantha arrived early, just after Decker. Remus was becoming anxious waiting for news about the book. He wanted to talk to Devon, but since we want communication between them limited, Colantha suggested a dreamwalk. Decker texted Remus, and he agreed.” He glanced at the wall clock. “They shouldn’t be much longer. Colantha said ten minutes at the most.”
Simone glared at me.
“Don’t give me that look. I’m as surprised as you.”
“You knew nothing about this?” Simone asked.
“All I know is that Colantha scared the shit out of me when she woke me up in a construct, telling me to inform Devon she’d be arriving at two.” I replayed the memory. I’d still been a bit drowsy at the time.
“What?” Simone must have seen something change in my expression that made her hackles rise, and the tip of her fangs became visible.
“She winked at me.” I glanced to where Colantha sat. “She couldn’t have known that she’d need to dreamwalk right away. I’m sure the wink was just her way of teaching me another lesson.”
“And what lesson might that be.”
“Nothing that has anything to do with what’s going on here.”
“Simone. Everything is fine.” Devon’s voice silenced our conversation, and Simone spun toward him.
Every time she twirled, her bold red caftan—her power color—flowed around her like gossamer silk. I would have liked to watch her on a catwalk. She denied my every attempt to catch her admitting that she’d modeled. She’d lived in all the fashion capitals of the world, and not always as cadre. How could she not have walked one at least once? Of course, then she’d end up on the front page of every magazine in the world. That would have been too much human intervention for her.
“Perhaps some warning ahead of time.” Simone’s tone had mellowed to one of reverence, though she gave Colantha a glare or two.
“Didn’t Lucas tell you?” Devon glanced his way.
“Completely my fault.” Lucas didn’t sound apologetic. “Bella and I went to the kitchen to save Letty a trip and missed Simone’s arrival.”
“There you have it.” Devon stood and took Colantha’s hand to help her rise. “Let’s move to the sofa, and we can bring everyone up to speed.” He waved me to his side, taking the two chairs closest to the unlit fireplace. “Colantha arrived early. It provided an opportunity to bring her and Remus up to speed on our success with retrieving the De f?rste dage and Lucas’s translation of the first half of the document. Colantha agreed to review the second half and provide a translation.”
“I would like to get started with the review as soon as possible.” Colantha poured a glass of what I could now confirm, glancing at my already half empty glass, was sangria. It tasted almost as good as what I’d had in Madrid. “I understand Lucas, with Ginger’s assistance, completed the translations on the first half of the book. It would be helpful, for possible continuity issues, if they could assist with my work.”
If Lucas were a puppy, I think he’d be sitting at her knee with his tongue hanging out, adoration in his gaze. Hard to picture his enthusiasm for books in conjunction with the instinctual killer he could be. Ginger had told me every detail of their mission, and, after chastising her for not calling when Lucas had been gravely injured, followed by a long, breath-stealing hug, I’d listened with rapt attention as she described the endless stream of vamps who’d tried to stop them. Lucas was no light weight, and I had a scar or two from training that proved it. But I still grinned at the expression on his face while he waited for Devon’s response.
Devon held back a smile and gave a short nod.
“Excellent.” Colantha placed an empanada on a plate and used her fork to cut it into small pieces before taking a bite. “Tell us about your trip to Spain.”
Devon provided a high-level recap, and I wondered if he purposely left out the dreamwalkers and baby vamps. The cadre didn’t bat an eye at the omission. He wove the tale with equal measure of humor and stoicism, and while I didn’t sense any deception from Devon, Colantha kept a close eye on him.
She knew he was leaving something out, but decided not to call him on it. I’d forgotten to mention to Devon that I’d asked her in our dreamwalk the day before whether she knew about dreamwalkers in Spain and of a compound where vamps didn’t have a fertility problem. The two of them were playing a game I wanted no part in. I wasn’t stupid enough to get caught in the middle, but, after a quick rethink of my actions, I might have inadvertently stepped in it this time.
The group soon disbanded once the food and drink were gone. Lucas handed Colantha the book he’d brought with him. It was the original copy of the De f?rste dage . For some reason, I didn’t doubt that she’d be able to read both languages. She left with her two vamps, explaining that she wanted to read the book once before starting the translations the following day. Before she left, she grabbed my hand.
“I think it would be wise for you to join us.”
She wasn’t wrong. I wanted to be there. This was my ancestry. I hadn’t been raised in the culture, and it was time to learn more about my heritage. Maybe I’d learn a word or two of the language. At the same time, the idea of sitting through the painstaking effort of translations made me queasy. On second thought, perhaps it would be best to wait until the translations were complete. Then, I could read them and discuss my interpretation with Colantha. Rather than make a decision now, I simply nodded.
Devon squeezed my shoulder after she left. “Come with me. I’ve made plans.”
Devon pulled me down the hallways, his hand warm and tender as he tugged me along.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“With everything else going on?” The manor was filled with vamps and guests. This didn’t seem the right time for whatever he’d planned.
“We have a spare evening. Colantha is reading the book, and everyone else has been given time off to rest. I don’t know when we’ll have another moment together once activities heat up tomorrow, and Remus will be arriving the following day.
He turned down a dead-end hall, and I knew exactly where we were going, though it surprised me. He opened the door to the home theater. It wasn’t completely dark. Images were already playing across the huge silver screen—forest landscapes, tropical beaches, and glittering city nights.
“What’s all this?”
He led me halfway down the row of seats before guiding me into one, pushing me toward the center section where the armrest had been removed from between two seats. Blankets and several pillows had been piled on the seats. A tabletop covered the next seat, where a huge tub of popcorn and an ice bucket filled with bottles of hard cider waited. The scent of Cook’s famous mixed-type popcorn made my stomach stir.
My first thought was to ask how he did this, but that was stupid. When Devon had the will, he always found a way. So, I went with, “Movies?”
He pulled back a blanket and took off his shoes before sitting down next to the seat with the food and drinks. “I know we just got back from vacation, but after the attack on Oasis and a full agenda for the next few days that will undoubtedly modify our mission to something even more dangerous, I thought we needed a small break.”
When he nodded to the seat, I slipped off my shoes and curled up next to him, tugging the blanket over us. It was useless to argue with him when he was in a mood, and I had to admit, I wasn’t willing to destroy the moment. We wouldn’t get many times like this once war was officially declared.
“When I commanded large armies, the hardest task wasn’t marching on the enemy, it was keeping the men stimulated before battle.”
“Don’t tell me—more battle training.”
He laughed. “In a sense. A makeshift arena was formed to allow the warriors to test each other. Most relished the opportunity to match their strength against their fellow warriors. Others preferred the peace of solitude. Even in those days, vampires understood the benefits of meditation. At nights, there were endless feasts.”
“And women?”
He didn’t respond, but a huge grin flickered in the light from the screen.
“I should have known.”
He opened two ciders and handed me one, which I put in the drink holder to my right. Then he picked up a remote control. “I’ve preselected three movies, so get comfortable.”
Ginger and I always made time for movie nights when we could, but it was rare for Devon to agree to one. And when it happened, he only had the patience for one movie. The fact he’d selected three made me curious, but after snuggling up to him under the blankets, I decided not to question my good fortune. Live for the day.
He started with Nosferatu , an old black-and-white silent movie that was Sergi’s favorite. Then he followed it up with The Lost Boys , a cult classic, and finished with Fright Night , which had us both in tears from laughing so hard.
When the last movie ended, he took me to the widow’s walk, where a thermos of coffee waited for us. We spoke of nothing important—memories of our time in Madrid, the coast of Spain, and a new studio he wanted to build for Lyra on the far side of the yard. It would be built to provide several views, including the gardens, the sycamore, and the coastline. He’d had preliminary plans drawn up to present to her on her birthday, but he wanted her to modify it to her heart’s content to make the place her own.
Afterward, we strode hand-in-hand to his room, where a table for two had been brought in, dressed with a linen tablecloth and two place settings. Three candles burned in the centerpiece. Two silver-domed plates waited for us, along with a bottle of champagne. It was a light meal of salmon, fresh green beans, and mashed sweet potatoes.
“No dessert?” I asked as I finished my glass of bubbly.
His brows wriggled.
My laugh was throaty, and his gaze glowed. The beast was still hungry, but I didn’t think it had anything to do with food. I’d barely set my glass down when he lifted me into his arms and dumped me on the bed.
Once we’d stripped to our underwear, I thought he’d make love to me. I was wrong. We cuddled, fingers entwined as talk turned to business. He wanted me to review and provide suggestions for Sergi’s latest security plans, Lyra needed more stimulation, and I expressed my desire for some type of project.
Somewhere in all of that, we fell asleep.
Until Devon woke me with warm hands that roamed my body, stopping every few inches as strong fingers massaged my muscles. I moaned with delight as he worked each leg and then my arms before his hands ran up and down my back, working the knots in my neck and shoulders. Had I died and gone to heaven? Were angels restoring me? I needed more dreams like this.
I groaned again as a hard body lay next to mine, and I managed a smile. His hot breath against my ear sent shivers down my neck and spine. This was no angel giving aid, and I rolled over as his arms wrapped around me.
Devon.
His kisses were as soft as butterfly wings on my temple and then my nose. Then he ravaged my mouth with a passion that could raise the dead.
“Don’t move.”
As if I could.
He removed what little clothing I had on, leaving me naked and starving for more. His kiss might have been molten, but his hands were gentle as they once again traversed my body. This time was more an exploration, soft swirls of his fingertips sending ripples of pleasure over me. Through me.
This was the tender Devon—the seducer, the dark nights and secret hideaway lover. The one who made making love a living art form. There was the hot sex in the back of a jeep Devon. The vamp who held me against a shower wall as his thrusts made me scream. There was the missionary Devon when neither of us had any energy left after a hard day, yet we couldn’t sleep without our joining. But this Devon was the slow and methodical lover. The vamp who slowly torched every inch of me, growing the ripples into gentle waves, building until a tsunami of pleasure washed over me.
I’d seen all the versions of Devon while at the resort in Spain. Simone had arranged for a seaside bungalow the farthest away from neighbors. We had a private beach and spent days making love on a blanket spread across the sand. The evenings were best after our passions were spent when we lay entangled under the stars and spoke of silly things. A small respite in our preparations for war.
Regardless of which of his lover personas came to me, it all ended the same. A sweet release and a knowledge that no other vamp, human, or shifter could ever give me the love and safety that this vamp provided. And when he released his beast, his eyes glowing their icy blue hue that faded to a warm pool of moonlight, I knew he felt the same.
We were one.
After Devon found his own release, he carried me to the shower, where we washed each other with soft strokes. We dried each other off, giving light kisses over still-damp skin before tossing the towels on the floor and finding our way back to bed.
With our legs entwined, we stared at the ceiling as if we could see the stars until we fell asleep, our hearts beating as one.
Then, without thinking, I mumbled, “Love you.” I was asleep before hearing a response.
Devon watched her sleep. Her slow breathing and the rapid movement of her lids told him she was dreaming. Was it of him? He hadn’t realized how much Cressa’s debt had weighed on him until Lucas mentioned it.
In the beginning, it tied her to him. A way to force her to work for him. To steal what he needed to remove his censure. After the first few days, and she’d stolen her first item for him, which had been a rash decision on her part, she didn’t seem to want to leave. She put her entire being into their missions.
If someone asked when she’d taken possession of his heart, he wouldn’t have an answer. It wasn’t one moment. It was a gradual entrapment. A slow burn that only made the journey more enticing. More stimulating. She’d changed during her time at the manor. She’d become a warrior and discovered her true nature even without having full control of it. However, that was rapidly changing.
She had to spread her wings. He hated that saying even more than before. Whether she realized it or not, she’d been tied to House Trelane not by choice but through a business arrangement. Something he’d been blind to as well. Not anymore.
He sat on the bed and pushed her hair back to regard her face. Her eyelids had quieted, and she began to stir. Her legs stretched, and then her arm. When it met resistance, her eyes popped open.
She blinked, and her gaze focused on him, followed by an instant smile. “Morning.” Her voice was still groggy from sleep. Her morning smile disappeared. “Is everything alright?”
He gripped her arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Everything’s fine. I have a meeting I need to run to, but I wanted to discuss something before I left.”
She rubbed her eyes, then pushed herself up to a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her knees. “Okay.”
Her hair was a mess. The shower hadn’t been enough to remove her mascara, and now it left sultry black smudges. She was beautiful.
He cleared his throat. “It’s time to release you from your debt. I should have done it long before now.”
“What?” She rubbed her eyes again, and his heart did a little flip.
“I’ve opened a bank account in your name with the agreed-upon figures from our updated contract. The money has been deposited, and I’ll provide you with all the required details and paperwork.”
Instead of relief for an unwanted burden, her eyes narrowed. “Is this payment for last night?”
“What?” Devon stood up. “What are you talking about?”
She shrugged. “It’s not that I’m not grateful to be out of your debt, but why the sudden decision?” She glanced away before softly asking, “Is it because of what I said last night?”
He thought back to their evening. At some point after their lovemaking, she’d said she loved him. Hadn’t she told him that before? Those damn dreams confused him. Their nights together blended between real events and dream constructs to the point he couldn’t remember past realities from future events.
“No, of course not.” He didn’t know what else to say and turned her back to the topic at hand. “The days before us will be more dangerous than I’d originally considered, and I don’t know how long this war will last. I can’t ask you to be part of it when you’re tied to this House not by your own choosing.” He sat back down but didn’t touch her. “I understand you have skin in the game, but you need to decide whether you want any part of this war, and if you do, will it be next to Colantha or me? I realize we’re fighting the same battle, but that choice does make a difference.”
Did he have to tell her that her desire to stand with him was more important than the war itself? Should he tell her? He didn’t know. He didn’t want to sway her decision.
“You also have Ginger to think about. I know she has a strong relationship with Lucas, but you both have to consider why you’re here. You and Ginger will always have a home here, but it has to be on your terms, and you need the freedom to make that choice.”
When she didn’t respond nor reach for him, he ignored the twist in his chest. She appeared dazed, and he’d been foolish to dump this on her upon waking. Maybe it was his cowardice—his fear of what her decision would be.
He stood. “We can talk more after my meeting when you’ve had time to consider what I’ve said. And if you need time away to consider what you want for your future, I can send you and Ginger to Oasis. There are bungalows on the far side of the manor where you can almost forget you’re at a vampire estate.” He quirked his lips. “It’s the best I can do with the lockdown.”
He bent down to kiss her, hesitated at her bewildered expression, then tugged her to him, telling her with action, if not with his stumbling words, how much she meant to him. The kiss was deep, persuasive, and promising. He stroked her cheek before standing.
Then he left, feeling like an asshole. Maybe he should have told her during their dinner the night before. Yes. Where his heart was concerned—he was a coward.