12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Aidan
T he security guard hesitated, glancing between Julian and me.
“Leave us. Now,” Julian said, his voice calm but firm.
The guard nodded, clearly sensing the tension in the room, and quickly exited, closing the door behind him. The room fell silent, the weight of what was about to be revealed pressing down on all of us.
“What the hell is going on?” Finn snapped.
Amelia sat on the edge of a chair, her hands trembling slightly, her eyes darting between Julian, Finn, and me.
I took a deep breath, my gaze settling on Amelia.
“Orson,” I began, my voice low and steady, “is Alma’s brother.”
Amelia’s eyes widened, and Finn’s head snapped toward me.
“Alma?” Finn asked, his voice sharp. “Who the hell is Alma?”
“She was Aidan’s wife… over a century ago. And I’m her reincarnation,” Amelia’s voice was barely a whisper as she answered.
“What?” Finn’s expression shifted from confusion to disbelief.
“Orson was responsible for Alma’s death. He betrayed her, betrayed us, and sided with a rival vampire clan. They attacked us, and…” My voice faltered, the memory of that night was still raw, even after all these years. “I killed him. I watched him die. Julian was there…he saw it too.”
“It’s true. I witnessed Orson’s death myself. There’s no way he could have survived,” Julian stepped forward, his tone grim.
“But if he’s dead…, how is he here now?” Amelia’s breath hitched; her eyes filled with tears.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my fists clenching at my sides. “I don’t understand how he’s alive, but he is. And he’s after you, Amelia.”
Finn shook his head, running a hand through his hair.
“This is insane. How do we even know this Orson guy is back? Maybe it’s someone else pretending to be him.”
“It’s Orson. There’s no mistaking it. And if he’s alive, it means something or someone brought him back. We need to figure out how and why,” Julian stepped forward, his tone calm but authoritative.
“In my dream… Alma warned me. She said something terrible is coming, and if we don’t stop it, the people I love will die,” Amelia’s voice trembled as she spoke.
The room fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in. Finn’s expression softened as he looked at her, his protective instincts clearly kicking in.
“We’re not going to let that happen,” he said firmly, his gaze locking onto mine. “Whether you like it or not, Aidan, I’m not going anywhere. Amelia’s safety is just as important to me as it is to you.”
I clenched my jaw, the tension between us palpable. But now wasn’t the time for our rivalry. Amelia was in danger, and we needed to work together to protect her.
“Fine,” I said, my voice tight. “But we need to move quickly. Orson won’t stop until he gets what he wants, and if he’s after Amelia, we need to find out why.”
“I’ll start digging into any recent activity from rival vampire clans. If Orson’s back, someone had to have helped him. I will find out who,” Julian nodded, his expression serious.
“I’m not just going to sit here and wait for him to come after me again. I want to help,” Amelia stood, her hands clenched at her sides.
“Amelia…” I started, but she cut me off.
“No, Aidan. This is my life, my past, my future. I’m not going to be a pawn in whatever game Orson is playing. If I’m Alma’s reincarnation, then I need to know everything. I need to understand what’s happening.”
I hesitated, torn between wanting to protect her and knowing she had a right to be involved. Finn stepped forward, his voice calm but firm.
“She’s right, Aidan. Keeping her in the dark isn’t going to help. We need to work together if we’re going to stop this.”
I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair.
“Fine. But first I need to be sure that you are safe.”
“Our men are outside, we are just waiting for your order sir,” Julian said.
“Amelia will be taken to one of my mansions,” I said firmly, my voice leaving no room for argument. “It has high-level security, and she’ll be safe there.”
“That’s the first place they’ll look. If Orson’s after her, he’ll expect you to hide her in one of your properties. She’ll be safer with me,” Finn stepped forward, his jaw tight.
“And why is that?” I turned to him, my eyes narrowing.
“Because they won’t suspect she’s with a werewolf,” Finn shot back, his tone sharp. “Your mansions are too obvious. My underground house is off the grid, and they won’t even think to look there.”
I clenched my fists, the idea of Amelia being out of my sight unbearable. But before I could argue, Amelia spoke up.
“Finn’s right,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. “If Orson’s after me, he’ll expect me to be with you, Aidan. Going with Finn might be the safest option.”
I hesitated, my gaze flickering between Amelia and Finn. Every instinct in me screamed to keep her close, to protect her myself. But I couldn’t ignore the logic in their argument.
“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “But Julian will arrange the logistics. And I’m sending some of my men with you. No arguments.”
Finn nodded, though his expression remained tense.
“Understood.”
Julian stepped forward, already pulling out his phone.
“I’ll coordinate everything. We’ll leave through the rooftop to avoid suspicion. I’ll have the helicopter ready.”
“Make it quick,” I gave a curt nod, my mind racing.
Within minutes, Julian escorted Amelia and Finn to the rooftop where my helicopter waited. I watched them board, my chest tight. Amelia glanced back, her eyes filled with fear and determination.
“Be careful,” I said, my voice low.
“You too,” she nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line.
As the helicopter lifted off, I turned to Julian.
“Let’s go. We have work to do.”
We returned to my mansion, where Fergus was already waiting. The three of us gathered in the study, the air heavy with urgency.
“What’s the plan?” Fergus asked, his voice sharp.
“We need to find out how Orson is alive and who’s behind this,” I said, pacing the room. “Julian, start digging into any recent activity from rival vampire clans. Fergus, I need you to reach out to our contacts. Someone had to have helped him.”
They nodded, and we got to work. Hours passed as we sifted through intel, the tension thick. Then, Julian’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, his expression darkening.
“It’s an unknown number.”
“Answer it,” I said, my voice tight.
Julian put the call on speaker, and a cold, familiar voice filled the room.
“Julian,” Orson said, his tone dripping with malice. “It’s been a long time.”
“Orson. What do you want?” Julian’s jaw tightened.
“I want to speak with your boss,” Orson sneered. “Put Aidan on the phone.”
“I’m here, Orson. What do you want?” I stepped forward, my voice low and dangerous.
There was a pause, and then Orson laughed—a chilling, hollow sound.
“Aidan. I’ve been waiting for this moment for over a century. You thought you could kill me? You thought you could end me? I’ve come back from the dead, and I’m going to make your life a living hell.”
“You’re a fool if you think you can take me on, Orson. You failed once. You’ll fail again,” my fists clenched at my sides, but I kept my voice steady.
“Oh, this isn’t just about you,” Orson said, his voice dripping with venom. “This is about Alma. This is about making you suffer the way I suffered. And I’m going to start with Amelia.”
The room went silent, the weight of his words sinking in.
“You touch her, and I’ll destroy you,” I growled, my voice trembling with rage.
Orson laughed again.
“You can try, Aidan. But this time, you won’t win. I’m coming for you. And when I’m done, you’ll wish I’d stayed dead.”
The line went dead, and the room was left in stunned silence.
“Julian, double the security at Finn’s location.”
“Okay sir, I will get to it,” Julian said and left.
The room felt suffocating after Orson’s call. His threat loomed, and rage, fear, and guilt churned inside me. I grabbed whiskey, took a swig, but it didn’t help.
“Aidan,” he said quietly, his voice steady but laced with concern. “Don’t let him get to you. Orson’s playing mind games. He wants you to lose focus.”
I slammed the bottle down on the table, the sound echoing through the room.
“Mind games?” I barked, my voice rising. “He’s not just playing games, Fergus. He’s back. He’s alive. And he’s coming for Amelia. For her. Because of me.”
Fergus stepped closer, his expression softening.
“This isn’t your fault. Orson’s the one who betrayed you. He’s the one who sided with the rival clan. He’s the one who caused Alma’s death.”
“Is he?” I snapped, whirling around to face him. My chest heaved as the words spilled out, raw and unfiltered. “Because sometimes, Fergus, I can’t help but blame myself. Alma and I… we had a fight that night. A stupid, heated argument. I was angry, and I stormed out. I left her alone. If I had stayed, if I hadn’t been so damn stubborn, maybe I could have protected her. Maybe she’d still be alive.”
I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured another drink, my hands shaking so badly that the whiskey sloshed over the rim. I downed it in one gulp, the burn doing nothing to numb the pain.
“Fuck!” I exclaimed in a fit of frustration as I hurled the glass across the room. It shattered against the wall, shards scattering across the floor.
Fergus didn’t flinch. He just stood there, watching me with that same steady gaze.
“Aidan,” he said again, his voice calm but firm. “You can’t keep carrying this guilt. It’s been over a century. Alma wouldn’t want this for you. She wouldn’t want you tearing yourself apart over something you can’t change.”
“How do you know what she’d want?” I shot back, my voice cracking. “She’s gone, Fergus. Because of me. And now Amelia… she’s in danger because of me too. History is repeating itself, and I don’t know how to stop it.”
Fergus stepped closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. His grip was firm, grounding.
“You’re not the same man you were back then. You’ve changed. You’ve grown. And you’re not alone in this. You have me. You have Julian. Even Finn, as much as you hate to admit it, is on your side. We’ll protect Amelia. We’ll stop Orson. But you have to let go of this guilt. It’s only going to cloud your judgment.”
“I don’t know if I can,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “Every time I look at Amelia, I see Alma. And every time I think about Alma, I remember how I failed her.”
Fergus’s grip tightened.
“You didn’t fail her. You loved her. And you love Amelia. That’s why you’re fighting so hard to protect her. Don’t let Orson twist that into something ugly. Don’t let him win.”
I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. Fergus was right. Orson wanted me to spiral, but I couldn’t. Not with Amelia’s life at stake, not with everyone counting on me.
“Alright,” I said finally, opening my eyes and meeting Fergus’s gaze. “We focus on the plan. We find out how Orson’s back, and we stop him. No matter what it takes.”
Fergus nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“That’s the Aidan I know.”
“Come to think of it, Orson isn’t that powerful to defy me, it could only mean that someone is fueling his ego…” I said.
“That’s true Orson is known for being a lap dog but who could be the person behind it?” Fergus asked.
“I can only think of one person…” I said as my eyes narrowed.
“No way! It can’t be! Are you sure? But she has been in exile for years,” Fergus said.