6. Finley #2
“As for other side effects, I don’t know the answer to that,” he shared, his voice soft as if he hoped the others wouldn’t hear.
“While I was able to feed from Marissa, they didn’t let us stay close.
I was attached to her to feel her emotions and some thoughts, but as you know, being bonded to someone automatically makes you closer to the other.
It was my duty as her vampire to care, protect, and provide for my bond, and I failed to do all those things.
It cut deep into my already unstable mental state, turning me into a wild, vicious beast. Like I said before, things between us are already so different, I’m not sure what to expect. ”
Not knowing what to expect was a feeling that I understood well.
Since the moment I got bit, nothing had been how I expected my life to turn out, yet I wouldn’t change a thing.
Now I had a family, people who loved me, and I loved them.
Yes, Derven was a twist, but if I could love and care for seven men, how hard could it be to add in another.
From now on, I was going to be extra careful around other supernaturals, seeing as I end up mating or bonding to each new species I came across.
There were only so many times I could ask my men to accept this sort of thing.
My eyes drifted close as I listened to my mates talking, laughing, and moving about the house.
It was warm and comforting, knowing that I was part of this pack, that I belonged when I’m not sure I ever felt that way.
Ayla seemed to have joined in to help, her musical voice adding to the others in a way that made sense.
Our future was quickly changing into something new, but I was thankful for moments like this where the dangers of what was to come could be put on hold.
A body shifted to sit behind me and pulled me into their arms, running their fingers through my hair. I nuzzled into their chest. The metal tang of blood mixed with the heady, rich scent of sandalwood told me it was Derven.
His scent reminded me of a hit where the man was a collector of ancient texts and artifacts.
The room he kept them in had that rich scent of incense, old money, and the bite of age.
It seemed to fit my newest mate since he’d aged through the centuries but still held onto that core scent of when he was human.
“Will you be alright to travel to the other house with this much daylight, or do you need to stay here?” Rath asked, from somewhere over my head.
Arms gathered me up, and I was lifted, cradled against his chest. “I should manage making my way through the forest,” Derven said as he handed me over to Rath. “I’ll meet you there, sangele meu,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my head.
The only sound he made as he darted out the door was a soft whoosh of wind. Even with my supernatural hearing, I couldn’t make out any footfalls. Cracking open an eye, I looked up at Rath. “How is he that silent?”
“I’m sure he didn’t end up living to a thousand without learning a few tricks. Who knows, maybe he can teach us,” Rath mused as he carried me out of the house.
The pickup truck was overflowing with their things and it seems they filled a second one as well. “Is that everything?”
“Most of it, I think with one more trip, it should be done. It’s far easier since they don’t have to move the furniture unless they want to switch something out.
Zander had it all set up, almost as if he knew he’d have a house full of people living with him one day,” Rath shared, caressing his cheek against my hair absently.
I reached up and cupped his cheek, making him pull back slightly to see my face. “Are you alright? I can tell you’re unsettled, but I assumed it was because of Derven. Now I think it might be something else.”
“Seeing him again had brought back many memories of my time with the Dark Ring, few if any were good,” he answered. “I thought leaving everything behind and working toward taking them down would help me move past things, but now I realize it won’t be that simple.”
I kissed him, letting my love and reassurance melt into him. “If you need an ear to listen, I’m happy to do that for you whenever you decide. Also, know that if you never want to tell me what happened, I’m okay with that too. Sometimes our past isn’t something we want others to be influenced by.”
“Nin mel, you are a gift from God, and I am blessed beyond measure to have you as a mate,” he said, returning my kiss before heading to one of the trucks and setting me inside. “Colt will drive you back. I’m riding behind to make sure we don’t lose anything along the way.”
Seconds later, Colt hopped in, and we were off with the other truck following the rest of the guys and their things.
“Where are we going to put Derven?” I asked, leaning my head on Colt’s shoulder. “Zander made his home to allow for as much light as possible in this dense forest.”
“We were talking about that and he actually has a music room that he built to record his own stuff on the first floor. He’s been going on and off tour so much that he never got around to putting it together.
It’s got no windows, and once we remove the soundproofing from the walls, get some furniture, and see if we can connect the bathroom next to it, all should be good,” Colt shared.
“Isn’t that a stroke of luck,” I mused, peering up at him. “Are we okay? I know Zander said everyone was fine and didn’t hold me responsible for this, but I just feel like I’ve betrayed you all or duped you into adding another person into our family.”
“Little one, listen to me carefully,” Colt said, his voice stern.
“There is nothing you could have done to prevent what happened. If life with you so far has taught me anything, it’s that there will be twists and turns, but we need to deal with them as they come.
Some will be harder than others to deal with, but so far, everything has happened for a reason.
You needed Rath. Without him, we wouldn’t have known the first thing about how to help you when your magic presented itself.
Maybe Derven has something to teach you or offer you that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
No matter what comes of this, it is not your fault and changes nothing with you and me or any of your other mates. ”
I thought about what he said and what Derven might have to offer.
Then I remembered what he said in the bedroom before he left.
“He gives us an army,” I said, sitting up straight.
“Everything he owns or commands is now mine as well. Which means, if we need an army like he offered before, it’s a guarantee.
Derven lost his last Blood Bond, and he’s determined nothing will happen to me, so he’s vested in this battle beyond his personal feelings.
This is a twist the Senate and the Dark Ring would never see coming. ”