CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE || THIERRY
I drifted back to consciousness slowly because I didn’t want to leave the dream. Jeremy and I had been flying again, soaring over an endless, lush rainforest. There had been two suns, but it hadn’t bothered me in the slightest. The fierce joy of it still lingered in my chest.
But at last, my body woke me. Jeremy’s arms slipped away and the feeling of safety popped like a soap bubble.
I blinked rapidly, sitting up in bed.
Jeremy was still deeply asleep beside me, snoring softly, rolled onto his side with the sheet tangled around his bare torso.
Looking down at him, my heart swelled as I realized he belonged to me.
And more than that—I wanted him to. It was hard to believe that not long ago, I hadn’t trusted him at all. I’d told myself I couldn’t stand him.
Now he seemed like the most important person in my world. The only person I wanted to trust enough to let in completely. Someone I wanted to try to cherish. I was out of practice, but I was confident Jeremy wouldn’t mind if I got it wrong a few times.
That was what mattered.
We could figure out the rest. Even if we ended up halfway around the world from each other—me chasing feral vampires, him leading his pack—we’d still meet every night in the dreamscape.
Strange, how that had alarmed me so much only a few nights ago. Now it was an immense relief. We could work through anything if we wanted to. I wouldn’t ever be gone too long. Just long enough for him to miss me.
I was in love with this man. The thought spread a broad smile across my lips.
No light peeked through my thick curtains, which meant it was still fully dark outside. The near-total silence when I strained my ears told me it was early morning—hours before anyone else was awake. I had probably only slept an hour, two at most.
I thought about waking Jeremy but couldn’t bring myself to do it. He was mortal, after all. Better to let him sleep. He’d need his energy later. I had plenty of plans that required him to be well rested.
Instead, I slipped out of bed and into the bathroom.
I took a long, hot shower. Afterward, I dressed in a sapphire-blue velvet suit with a skin-tight black turtleneck.
Shiny black shoes, matching silk pocket square.
I left the barest hint of stubble on my jaw, deciding not to shave.
Jeremy would probably appreciate a little roughness.
After all, I certainly did.
When I finished dressing, I flashed myself a wicked grin in the mirror—I looked good enough for Jeremy to sink his teeth into. The idea sent a surge of arousal through me. I revisited the thought of waking him.
It was very tempting.
I gave my reflection a wink. I barely recognized the happy vampire staring back at me. Though I had memorized my appearance after centuries of seeing myself in mirrors, this new version—without haunted eyes or a perpetual sour expression—was a stranger.
I wanted to get to know him better.
The overhead light flickered, plunging the bathroom into total darkness.
When the lights came back on, a man stood directly behind me in the mirror.
Godric’s eyes met mine, and he smiled. “Hello, Thierry. We’re overdue for a chat.”
Ice lanced through me. But I locked eyes with his reflection. “You’re not really here.”
“No,” he agreed. “I’m somewhere else. Would you like to know where?”
“I’m fairly certain I don’t care. If I see you again, I’ll drive a wooden stake through your heart.”
“Ah, but what about Danny?”
“Excuse me?”
Godric smiled, his dark eyes boring into me. “He and Michael have a very nice house in Gold Bar. I can’t say much for the town, but it is secluded. Anything could happen to them out there, and the neighbors would never know.”
“Leave them alone.”
“After you left Rookwood, I realized I might need leverage. Michael is your progeny, is he not? Naturally, I’d start with Danny first and work up to Michael. If memory serves, you’ve never been especially agreeable.”
“Don’t hurt them.” I couldn’t stop the quaver in my voice.
“I’d rather not,” Godric said, inclining his head.
“They seem very happy, don’t they? With Tobias and Bryan in the mix, they’re one big family.
Not to mention Bryan’s young progeny.” He tapped his temple.
“Bryan and Tobias are out of town. They flew out yesterday—something about a bus accident in Florida. Lots of wounded people to go heal.”
A sick feeling gripped me—he knew everything. All the best ways to hurt me.
Godric paused, watching me. “I truly don’t want to do them any harm. I promise.”
“What do you want, then?”
“That is better as a face-to-face conversation.” His smile thinned, eyes glinting dangerously. “You will come to me. Now. It is as simple as that.”
Icy panic tore through me at the thought of Godric anywhere near the people I cared for. And though centuries had passed since I had last seen him, I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to use any of them as leverage. He’d hurt them unless I did as he asked.
He’d learned that from Magnus.
“You’re bluffing,” I said, wishing it were true.
He shook his head, oddly resigned. As if all of this was inevitable. Regrettable, but inevitable.
“Pick up your phone.”
Still staring at him in the mirror, I pulled my phone from my pocket. It chimed—a new text. No words. Just an image of Michael and Danny’s house.
“I am not bluffing,” Godric said. “We can behave like civilized creatures, or I can paint the town red, starting with your friends. Your call.”
I stared at the image, fear twisting my stomach into knots. “Fine.”
“You have one hour to get here.” He inclined his head. Then paused. “I’ll be watching you. If you say a word to the wolf or anyone else, the deal is off. And whatever happens next will be on your hands. I’ll start with Danny, but I won’t stop there.”
And with that, he vanished.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at my reflection, trying to decide what to do next. I was already dressed. It would be easy to leave the bathroom, move soundlessly across the floor, grab my keys, and simply go.
It’s what I would have done if I hadn’t met Jeremy—if it hadn’t sunk in just how much I needed the people around me.
But I did need them.
I needed Michael and Bryan, Danny and Tobias.
Simone, Nathaniel, Ethan, and Poppy. And my world would have been an immensely darker place without James, Derek, Rico, and even Sadie.
Most of all, I needed Jeremy. Without them, none of my dreams would have come to pass.
Without them, I wouldn’t have believed in happy endings enough to pursue one.
And I knew I’d never be okay again if anything happened to a single one of them.
If I left, I’d be protecting everyone. No one would know where I’d gone or what had happened to me. Jeremy would always wonder why I had left without a word. He would think I had betrayed him.
And what would he do when I didn’t return? If we’d had that moment of incredible closeness and then I was gone for good, the same way Ian was gone?
I could see it in my head. He would force the fight with Reed that might get him killed. No one would be there to stop him.
In fact, he’d be even more reckless, wouldn’t he?
Because I’d have broken his heart all over again. But if I woke him, Michael and Danny would be doomed. They’d been hunters in life, but they wouldn’t stand a chance against Godric. His ability to appear to me was only a fraction of his power.
And waking Jeremy might put Rico in danger too. He probably hadn’t gone with Bryan and Tobias—he still couldn’t stand hospitals yet, too much blood—so he was likely with Danny and Michael. Rico was immensely irritating, but that didn’t mean I didn’t care.
I cared too much about all of them.
I could still feel Godric’s presence nearby. But he wasn’t in my head—I was sure of it. His gifts didn’t work that way. They were more like Tobias’s, projecting awareness into other places. And, of course, seeing into the future.
If I was wrong—if I couldn’t trust my mate—we were all going to die.
But if I didn’t make the choice to trust him now, I’d doom us both. And probably countless others. After all, if Godric was turning entire towns into vampires, why stop with Rookwood?
Giving the bedroom door a long, tortured look, I went into the living room. My silver knife lay on the counter. I stared at it, swallowed hard, then slipped it into my pocket.
Jeremy!
I practically screamed his name in my head, praying he’d hear it through the layers of sleep.
I listened to his breathing through the bedroom door—it hadn’t changed. I sensed nothing through the bond.
Jeremy! Wake up!
Keeping my expression haunted, exactly like I was about to run out on the man I loved and get myself killed by a psychotic vampire, I moved to the waist-high black lacquer drawers I’d bought in Beijing.
They’d cost me a king’s ransom—literally—but I’d shipped them back to the States, certain I couldn’t live without them.
I could still feel Godric’s eyes on me. If I looked up, I was certain he’d be there, watching from the shadows.
Jeremy’s breathing stayed shallow and even.
I opened a drawer and pulled out the wooden stake I’d owned since before I came to Seattle. Ten inches long, narrow, blood-red, tipped with a wicked point. It would destroy Godric. That is, if I could get close enough to drive it through his heart.
A very big if.
Though centuries old, it still looked brand new. It was made from ironwood, one of the hardest, most decay-resistant woods on earth.
Having it in my hand gave me zero comfort.
Jeremy, wake up. I pushed the thought through the bond, laced with desperation. I need you.
I couldn’t draw this out without making Godric suspicious.
If Jeremy didn’t wake up—
From the other room, his breathing changed. Sheets rustled. The bed creaked. Thierry? What is it?
Stay in bed and don’t move. Pretend to be asleep and listen. I need you to trust me.
It was perhaps more than a little unfair, coming from me. After all, I wasn’t exactly the poster child for trust. But if Jeremy didn’t listen, it would ruin everything.
Thierry, you’re scaring the shit out of me.
I spoke quickly and silently through the telepathic bond, closing the drawer. We’re being watched. I have to go and I can’t explain. There’s no time. Wait ten minutes after I leave, then get the others. I’m going to Michael and Danny’s house. They’ll know where it is.
Thierry—
I love you, Jeremy. Please trust me.
For Godric’s benefit, I gave the bedroom door a long, lingering look. It wasn’t acting. I would’ve given anything to climb back into bed with Jeremy. But I couldn’t.
Godric’s watchful presence never wavered.
Jeremy didn’t reply.
Dropping my gaze, I let my shoulders sag in defeat, as though I’d decided to go after all. I slid the stake into my jacket sleeve, where I could reach it easily.
Godric would likely disarm me. But I couldn’t leave without a weapon. Not without making him suspicious.
He was still watching. He’d probably been watching all along.
But he couldn’t watch everyone at the same time, could he? And he might not have seen us seal the blood bond.
If he was watching me , he wouldn’t be watching Jeremy.
I left the apartment quickly, without a backward glance.
Godric was twice my age. If it came down to a fight, he’d swat me like a fly. Which meant if I was wrong—if my wolf didn’t do exactly as I asked—I was probably about to die.
My life, and the lives of everyone I loved, were in Jeremy’s hands.