Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Warren
Lena:
Come home.
Those two words had upended my life, and I could not tell whether it was a good thing.
For over a hundred years, I had desperately wanted to hear Lena call me home.
It had been something I craved almost as much as my redemption.
Yet her text message sent a wave of anxiety through me, and I struggled to shake it, even as I traveled from Ireland to her home in Provence, the place that was once my home, too.
It had been so long since I had been in the same place as Lena, and my mind would not stop replaying the last time I had seen her. The hurt on her face, the betrayal hanging heavy between us, and the fact that she chose to protect me even with a broken heart.
I had changed in my time away. I had no choice.
With no one I loved around me, I had to become someone new.
I didn’t regret it—my self-loathing had, thankfully, eased over time—but I worried that I was no longer who she would want as a friend.
My docile, eager-to-please persona had long since faded away, and I was more confident in myself; I couldn’t help but imagine that Lena would find it tiresome.
The estate had not changed since I had last been there, though I could tell Lena had been paying for renovations and repairs to keep it intact.
It was an old house, a few hundred years old at least, and for whatever reason, it was precious to Lena.
I suspected, though I had never asked, that it was a place she’d visited with Ria—there were many places I also held dear just because they reminded me of Levette.
I stood outside the front doors for a few minutes, wondering whether I should knock.
Part of me still felt like it was home, a pull to walk inside without hesitation as though no time had passed, but there was a possibility that Lena no longer wanted me to stay with her.
Perhaps, over time, she had opened her heart and welcomed friendship or warmth from other coven members.
I remembered more than one of my vampire family trying to coax friendliness from her, eager for their boss-mother-type figure to show some sort of kindness their way, a flash of care or hint of genuine admiration.
The thoughts warred within me, and I eventually settled for knocking on the door, standing with my suitcase in my hands like a child from the war.
Lena swung open the doors, her face breaking out into a grin. Even to this day, seeing her smile so brightly was jarring at first, unnerving almost.
“You’re home.”
The instant I saw her, all nervousness left me. Over a century without her, but I was finally standing in front of my best friend again, and nothing could take away the happiness that surged within me.
I returned her grin, laughing as she threw herself forward and into my arms. I dropped my suitcase and wrapped my arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground.
Her pixie-like figure would always be something I loved about her, a slight frame for such a powerhouse of a woman; she was the ultimate contradiction.
“It’s really good to see you, princess,” I said into her hair, setting her down before me.
It took me aback to see tears in Lena’s eyes as she stepped back, the normally stoic vampire suddenly full of emotion. I reached out, wiping a tear as it fell. “Why are you crying?”
Lena sniffled, smacking my hand away as she regained her composure. “I missed you, you asshole! Why else would I be crying?”
I barked out a laugh, shaking my head. “I was worried that you would have moved on after so long and found another friend to torment you.”
“Do you have any idea how difficult it would be to train another?” she said, rolling her eyes and turning, though I didn’t miss the hint of a smile on her face. “No, I was waiting for you. I didn’t put all that time into you for nothing.”
Grabbing my bag, I followed her inside and to her favorite parlor.
I inhaled deeply, relishing in the scent I’d missed so much.
Flowers, honey, fresh paint from Lena’s constant design changes, and the smell of blood; Lena always had a supply on hand, as well as human ‘visitors’ to donate.
Since vampires were now known to the world, I assumed they really were guests, willing to offer up their veins for our pleasure.
“I always knew I was just business to you,” I commented, dropping myself onto the sofa and lounging across its length.
Lena laughed before shaking her head, all humor gone. “You know I’m joking, right? I hate to admit all this mushy shit—don’t get used to it—but I missed you. I couldn’t visit you; they wouldn’t let me, but I have eagerly awaited the day you’d come home.”
I nodded, understanding. It had hurt at first, her absence, but as time passed, I began to realize that it had been without her control.
Even though I had hurt her, Lena had chosen to save my ass.
There was no way she would have exiled me and limited contact so harshly without someone else making the decisions for her.
“I know that. I didn’t always, but I do now.
I was worried about coming home,” I confessed, looking away so she didn’t see the guilt in my eyes or the shame written across my face.
“I thought that maybe you wouldn’t have wanted me to return.
I know what I did to you, how much I hurt you. I would have understood.”
“This is, and will forever be, your home, as long as you want it to be. I’ve lost too much in my life, Warren, and I will not allow your past mistakes to ruin the years of friendship we built. I forgave you before you even had to leave, and I meant it.”
I hadn’t realized how desperately I craved hearing those words or how much they would impact me.
The tears came slowly, slipping down my pale skin as though the shadows within me were leaking out.
I hated crying; I had done so much crying in my life that it felt as though there should have been none left.
All I could do was nod, hoping to convey all I felt inside.
It had been almost a week since I returned home, swapping stories with Lena about everything we had been mixed up in during our time apart.
I knew she had frequently checked in, but it was nice to tell her about all the things I had seen and done.
We decided on places we would like to revisit together, perhaps explore with Ria after I get to meet her.
It felt so human, playing catch-up as though it were a coffee date with girlfriends, the way mortals so loved.
“Not that I’m ungrateful to be back,” I commented, finishing a glass of fresh blood as Lena poured another, “but why now? Why call me back home?”
Lena ran her fingertip around the rim of her glass slowly, pursing her lips. “Because they let me.”
“But why?” I pressed, knowing there had to be a reason for their sudden generosity.
She sighed, gulping the blood down and wiping the edge of her mouth with a napkin. “I had a business proposition that I’m eager to work on, and I insisted that you would be the perfect man for the job.”
I raised my brow at her questioningly. “Tell me more.”
“The vampires are no longer beings hiding in the dark, and the donor clubs have been doing really well stateside. New Orleans, however, doesn’t have one, which is disappointing since it’s the heart of supernatural occurrences. I want to change that.”
The last time Lena had tried in New Orleans, I had ruined it for her.
It was a shot at redeeming myself and proving that I could be trusted now.
It made my palms feel sweaty, the responsibility looming over my head, but I would do it—I could do it.
I was in control of myself now and had been for many years.
“You want me to open one there?”
“Levette does.”
I did my best not to react when she said his name, keeping my face poker-straight. Internally, however, I reeled just at the mention of him. It was like my body was still attuned to him, ready to run to him and fall into his arms just hearing his name.
“I see.” I took a slow drink, allowing the blood to coat my throat and soothe my nerves. “Then what do you need me for?”
Lena leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. Her icy-blonde hair was twisted into a tight bun at her crown, and her makeup was flawless, making her never-aging skin look like porcelain.
“I need someone I can trust to make sure it succeeds. Levette can do it; he’s been basically running New Orleans for years, but mistakes happen. Your job would be to ensure it doesn’t.”
“Why me, though? You have a whole coven of trustworthy vampires.”
“It sounds exploitative, and I hate that, but it’s because you know Levette.
You will be able to help him stay in control of it, not lose his head if something happens, and keep it all in line.
” She reached out, resting her hand over mine.
“And because you and him are the only two people who know what it will cost me if it goes wrong. This is your chance to make it up to me, to help me bring Ria home.”
She was right, even if I doubted that I still knew Levette.
His soul could not change, but time had elapsed, and I doubted he was the same version of himself.
I knew I had changed so much, and I had to assume he had, too.
But for Lena, I would do it. I would make sure everything ran smoothly, and it would give her the leverage she needed.
She was keeping her plan close to her chest, and I didn’t blame her for that; I just hoped that one day she would trust me enough again to confide in me.
“Okay.”
Lena blinked, sitting back in her chair with wide eyes. “That’s it? No existential crisis? No arguing?”
I smiled, shrugging my shoulders and twisting the rings on my fingers absentmindedly. “That’s it. If you want me to do this, I will. Whatever it takes to help you bring Ria back and make up for the time I cost you.”
“And Levette? This will not be an issue for you?”
“I’m a big boy, princess. I can handle my shit now.” I paused, debating whether to ask all my questions about Levy, shaking my head when I decided not to.
Lena, however, seemed to guess. “He’s doing well. Successful, controlled—moved on with his life. He seems…happy.”
I swallowed, the movement feeling like glass shards were stuck in my throat. I was truly happy for him; I wanted only good things for him. Yet a part of me was still jealous, heartbroken, craving for him. The darkness inside of me had yearned for him to be shattered inside, like I knew I was still.
“I’m glad. It seems we both moved on.”
“You have another lover?” Lena asked, grinning at me mischievously. “Tell me all about him.”
I shook my head, chuckling at her love of gossip. “He’s just a friend I occasionally have some fun with. Nothing serious.”
Lena sighed dramatically. “That’s so boring.”
“When do you want me in New Orleans?”
“As soon as possible,” she replied, pouring us both another glass of blood. “Levette already has the location and has been deep in renovating for the last month. So, let us enjoy our last few days of frivolity before you are thrust into coven work once again.”
I clinked my glass against hers, toasting to our new venture. To her, I would pretend to be excited for the new club and what it represented, even if my insides were gurgling at the thought.
A small part of me celebrated, too, that I would be so close to Levette again.
I shoved it deep down and slammed the door, unwilling to let myself go down that route of thinking. If I did, I would throw myself at him and embarrass us both, because no matter how much I tried to ignore it, I would always covet Levette and all his love.