Chapter Eight
New Orleans Morgue
Monday
Mid-Morning
Time: Twenty-Three Hours remaining…
A s they drove there, it was clear that the detective in the backseat was distracted. Only, it had nothing to do with him being trapped with a demon God and everything to do with the pretty woman beside him.
Flynn made them both sit in the back, hoping Nature would take over, and give them a bridge to each other. He could feel the chemistry from behind the wheel, and there was no doubt in his mind that they were going to fall in love.
It was hard to fight it when it was your soulmate. He’d fought it for a while when he first met Jolie and Jacques, but that didn’t last long.
They want to mate. I can smell it in the air. Just tell them to do it.
Flynn was horrified.
Absolutely not. We need to stay out of it.
I am.
Uh-huh.
You have very little faith in me. I’m a God. I can mind my business. Look at that Jesus guy. He’s good at ignoring people.
Flynn rolled his eyes, and to prove a point that Rinnon was myopically focused on sex, he said one thing.
Is that two people having sex in the car in front of us? he asked.
WHERE? DO IT! FASTER!
Yeah, control his ass.
Immediately, Flynn began laughing, and everyone in the car looked at him like he’d lost his mind .
He had.
To Rinnon.
“What is so funny?” Tommy asked. “You know you look crazy when you laugh out of nowhere, right?”
Oh, he was aware.
“Rinnon entertains me. Sorry.”
I hate you.
You are so easily distracted by fornication. You should be ashamed of yourself.
NEVER. I’m a lusty god. There is nothing wrong with that.
As they pulled up to the police station, Flynn knew his way around. Since everyone here thought he still worked there, he was betting he could walk right in and not be stopped.
That wouldn’t explain Cerise though, and the last thing he wanted was for uncomfortable questions. They didn’t have time to compulse everyone in there.
So that meant he was leaving Cerise in the car, and not alone. Logan was going to join her but not only because they were staring at each other. He knew the truth, and Flynn wasn’t sure he’d keep his mouth shut.
I can make him be silent.
Yeah, no.
He really only needed Seth.
I have this, lusty God.
It gets you laid, so you should be thanking me. You’re welcome.
Flynn turned in the seat and focused on the two people in the back.
“You two keep the motor running. You’ll be the getaway drivers if this goes bad,” he joked.
Yeah, and it went over like a lead balloon.
“Or not.”
Neither of them looked over at him, and that told him everything he needed to know.
Yeah, he thought so .
“Come on, Tommy and Seth. Lead the way. Let’s go look at a dead body,” he said, as the real detective climbed out of the back to escape the love birds.
“Be right back. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he added, and Tommy laughed.
When the door was closed, the female vampyre was acutely aware of the man beside her.
Cerise was getting warm as she sat right beside him, and that was saying a lot since she was pretty much cold all the time.
Now, her leg was touching his, and they were sharing space. Their auras mixed, and she could smell his cologne. The scent of this man was intoxicating.
God.
Why did she feel like this?
Was this what it was supposed to be like?
Because she was afraid to screw this up, she reached for the only person she knew that could help her.
Jolie.
I need help. Can you hear me?
It didn’t take her long to reply back.
Of course, I can hear you, Cerise. Are you okay? What happened?
Yeah, I think I’m okay, but…
Jolie was curious.
But what?
She just got it all out.
I really want to have sex with the human detective. I can’t stop focusing on him. I can hear his heart, and it’s matching mine. I can smell his blood. Jolie, what’s wrong with me?
There was laughter in her mind.
Oh, this woman was about to have the adventure of a lifetime. Falling in love with a cop…it was fun.
Because it was clear that her old mistress didn’t do a good job of explaining things, she had the vampyre equivalent discussion to the birds and the bees.
That’s your real mate. He’s the one you’ve been searching for your whole life. The reason you’re feeling like that is he’s the one you are supposed to be with and mate with. You’re perfect match is sitting beside you. He should be feeling the same thing. Is he?
Uh, she wasn’t sure.
He’s staring at me but not saying anything. His leg is against mine, and I can feel his heart racing.
Well, that said it all.
He’s the one. He feels it too. You’re very lucky to have found your mate, Cerise.
Only, there was one problem.
He doesn’t know what I am. He’s afraid too. I can feel his fear.
Jolie knew the one sure fire way to make him calm down, and escalate this all at the same time.
Kiss him. That should do all it needs to do. Once you combine your auras, and you open to him, he’ll know what you know. Trust me.
Are you sure?
Oh, I am very sure. Have you met Flynn and Jacques? Jolie asked.
Well, she had, so she trusted Jolie.
When she looked over at him, the man’s blue eyes were focused on her, as if he was staring into her soul.
“Yes?” she asked. “You look like you want to ask me something.”
Oh, he really did.
She was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen in his whole life, and he had this overwhelming need to touch her.
“How long have you been a cop?” Logan asked, wanting to break the ice.
“It’s been a while,” she admitted, not giving him the true length of time. If she did, that brought up more questions.
He laughed.
“Can you put a date on that?”
“I could, but a lady never gives away her age,” she said, finding a way not to tell him.
Yeah, she was chickening out.
Sue her .
Cerise couldn’t help but want to see what kissing him would be like. She could feel the heat coming from his body, and it was making her twitchy.
In all the good ways.
“And you?” she asked, turning in the seat to face him. “How long have you been a detective?” she asked, pointing at his gold badge.
“I’ve been a detective for two years. I moved here from Michigan. It’s too damn cold there for me. I’m not a snow person.”
She understood that.
“I lived in Massachusetts,” she admitted. “I get it. Snow isn’t as fun as is sounds.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
She shrugged. Cerise didn’t think that would hurt. That’s why they had names, right?
“Sure, Detective. Ask away.”
“Actually, can I ask you more than one because that was already a question?”
Cerise nodded.
“Can I call you by your name?” he asked. “Or is that too forward of me?”
Oh, this was going to be out of control. She could already tell. Honestly, he could call her anything that he wanted.
The man had broad shoulders, and she’d been mesmerized when she saw him shirtless. His deep blue eyes were alluring, and so was his brown hair. She wanted to run her fingers through it.
This was a bad time to not have impulse control with the opposite sex.
A really.
Bad.
Time.
“Sure. It’s Cerise. Cerise Wilder.”
At that, he grinned, and there were dimples in his cheeks.
Holy shit .
That made her heart skip in her chest as the handsomest man was focused on her.
“I’m Logan.”
When he held out his hand, she stared at it. Yeah, that was a bad idea.
When she didn’t move, he blinked. Logan was a little surprised that she wouldn’t reciprocate. Had he read the room wrong?
“You don’t want to shake hands?” he asked. “Did I do something?”
If he was her mate, and Jolie was right, she didn’t want to start this off on the wrong foot. Cerise believed in honesty, and that mattered between mates.
So, she put it on the line.
“If I touch you, Logan, I’m going to kiss you,” she warned. “And if I kiss you, we’re going to have sex at some point.”
That was the best warning she could give him.
It took him a minute to figure out if she was serious or joking around. It was clear she had to be joking, but if she wasn’t, he was good with that.
For some reason.
He grinned.
“I’m not seeing a downside to all of that, Cerise. I’m really not.”
He kept his hand out, almost daring her to do it.
Oh, and she almost always took a dare. Tobias used to tempt her with things like that all the time.
Well, Jolie said kiss him.
So...
Slowly, she shook his hand, and it was exactly like she thought it would be.
The heat exploded through them both, and the inside of the blacked-out vehicle seemed to get so much warmer. It was uncomfortably hot to the point that taking off clothing was the only way to cool down.
And that brought up a whole other set of issues.
The whole time they touched, Cerise fought to keep her fangs in her mouth, and it wasn’t easy .
As they sat there, facing each other, Logan didn’t let go of her hand.
In fact, he held on tighter.
For some reason, she became the only focus for him, and everything else…it didn’t matter.
“I don’t understand,” he said, staring into her eyes. Today was one hell of a wild ride for him. It was out of control, and he was so damn confused.
About everything.
“Me either,” she admitted, as she was fighting two battles. Now, she could really hear his heartbeat, and the sound of his blood moving through his body.
Thank God she wasn’t a new vampyre and she had some control.
When he moved closer, she put her other hand on his chest.
“It’s a bad idea. You don’t understand what you’re about to do.”
Oh, he was aware.
A bad idea was also going to a cemetery at night and being mauled by a zombie.
Today was a weird day.
Only, his whole being said he had to find out what it would be like. Curiosity killed the cop.
He continued to move closer, and when he reached her mouth, they both closed the gap.
As soon as their lips touched, they knew one thing. The kiss was nuclear hot—like ‘melt your flesh from your bones’ hot.
Logan couldn’t think. All he could do was pull her closer to deepen the kiss. When Cerise didn’t fight it, but instead moved into his body, he gave it all he had.
Never had he felt anything like this in his life. All of a sudden, he felt alive.
As he kissed her, devastating her body with just that mating of mouths, Cerise knew the truth.
She was not going to be able to keep her fangs hidden for much longer. Her body was coming alive, and she wanted to taste him .
Desperately.
When his hands went into her silky hair, knotting there as a precursor of what could potentially be the best sex either of them had, she tried her best to give him every opportunity to run for his life.
Because she already loved him.
He was her mate, and her heart was already his. There was no way to fight that.
“Logan, this is a bad idea.”
Everything in him tried to fight the need. He was trying to put the brakes on, but he simply couldn’t do it. His whole being vibrated with lust.
This woman…
He felt like she was his, and that brought up a slew of problems for him.
Only, just being this close was difficult. His brain was foggy, and he was trying to remember the other woman he was dating.
Yeah, he had a girlfriend.
But shit.
It wasn’t anything like this.
“Well, at least we’ll be in it together,” he whispered, as he lost control of his senses, and the need to kiss her won out.
When he pulled her back into the mating of mouths, he forgot everything but that moment.
How did you fall so hard for someone you just met? He’d been dating his girlfriend for two years, and never felt this.
Never.
This was like all of his senses woke up at the same time, and he was vibrating with an energy he’d never felt before in his life.
When he tipped his head, so he could go deeper into the kiss, that’s when he felt it.
Something sharp.
The nick to his lip made him taste his own blood, and he jerked his head back quickly.
That’s when he saw it .
Cerise had…fangs.
His first instinct was that he gasped and pushed away from her to put space between them.
Well, that did what it needed to for Cerise.
She’d tasted his blood, and knew for a fact that he was the one she was meant to love forever. Now, he was scared, and it killed the moment.
It was the look of horror on his face as he saw her secret.
“What are you?” he asked, pressed to the door like she’d hurt him.
Only, she couldn’t and wouldn’t.
He was her mate, and hurting him would be hurting herself.
“Are you a monster too?” he asked, fear in his voice.
Well, there it was.
Yeah, this was a bad week for her. She lost Tobias, found her mate, and was about to lose him too. He thought she was a monster, and there was no way she could change his mind. Humans tended to go there.
“I’m not a monster. I’m a vampyre,” she said, her fangs slipping back into her mouth now that lust had left that particular party.
He blinked.
“Are you even a cop?” he asked, thinking this was some game, and they had nothing in common.
Her heart hurt.
Cerise’s mate, the man she was meant to be with was questioning her validity.
Again, she didn’t lie.
“Yes, I’ve been a cop for a long time—before you were even born.”
He stared at her.
“I’ll give you some space. I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry that I’m a monster.”
And with that, she opened the back door and stepped out into the sunlight. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t die in the sun thanks to Rinnon’s mark.
Because now, she felt like it .
The one person the universe had matched her to believed her to be nothing more than a monster.
Today was the icing on the shit cupcake, and she was ready to tap out.
The tears came, as she left him behind.
When she closed the door, he watched her walk away to go sit in the park across the street. The further away she moved, the more he felt it.
And he knew one thing.
He was hella confused.
About a lot of things.
* * * T u e u r A n t i q u i t i e s * * *
Inside The Police Station
Morgue
Same Time
Together, they headed toward the morgue that was housed downstairs in the building, and once inside, they were met with Doctor Millard Matel.
He was an older gentleman, and he was waiting for them, thanks to Seth.
“Detectives, welcome,” he offered, shaking their hands in greeting .
Seth made the introductions, even though he knew the whole damn police station knew who this particular cop was.
“This is Detective Flynn Brogan, and his partner, Detective Tommy Gress.”
The man looked confused, but that was completely normal. They watched as he seemed to try to remember something.
Luckily for them, the compulsion held.
“You look familiar, but I can’t recall if we worked a case together.”
Ironically, he did legitimately know them. Flynn had him as an ME on a case once, and it was clear the man was trying to break through that wall that Rinnon built.
Well, he wouldn’t.
“Yes, we’ve crossed paths,” he admitted.
From inside him, Rinnon was stirred up, and that was never a good thing.
Why are you so twitchy?
Rinnon went there.
I smell black magick in this place. I don’t like it. It’s Fate. She’s had something to do with this death. It coats like a film you can never remove.
Well, no shock there.
They already knew Mathew didn’t get The Vampyre’s Cross by sheer luck.
“What can I do for you?” the ME asked.
Seth handled it.
“We came to see the victim from the cemetery last night,” he said. “Do you think you guys can show us?”
The older man nodded.
“I hear you guys had a wild night. The cops that I’ve talked to, and the ME who was there, say there were zombie-like creatures.”
They all stood there, and Flynn knew why. They were waiting for The Big Scary to handle that.
Uh, that’s bad. Rinnon, can you help me out with this, please?
Oh, now, you want my input. Great .
Flynn was accustomed to his attitude when he was being contained and not happy about it.
Can you just do it without bitching?
Fine. I can.
As soon as Flynn heard him, but before he could warn him to not make a spectacle, Rinnon sent out a wave of energy so big, it blew the sheet off of the body as it was sent out.
Doctor Matel looked around.
“What was I saying?” he asked. “I seem to have lost my train of thought.”
Thank God for Rinnon and his compulsion skills. It saved them a lot.
You’re welcome, subpar vessel.
Flynn ignored him.
Honestly, it was for the best. He didn’t have time for a pissing match with the demon God.
“You were going to show us the body from the case we’re working,” Seth admitted.
Tommy helped.
“I think it’s the one right there.”
“Oh, yeah!”
Doctor Matel walked them toward the body, and when he pulled the already disheveled sheet the rest of the way off of the victim, they knew what had done the damage.
Her throat was missing.
This was going to be Mathew. Flynn saw the carnage he’d left behind in Paris, and that had been why he’d had to put him down.
The doctor went there. Only, he wasn’t even close to accurate.
“It looks like a wild animal dragged her into the cemetery. It must have been feeding, and left her when the cops showed up. The weird part is I would have assumed she was sexually assaulted, but maybe she just had some really enthusiastic sex right before.”
Yeah, that would be Mathew too. Not only was he in a blood lust, but he was heading toward Rape-ville with his ability to compulse his victims.
That was one more reason why they killed him .
“Maybe,” Flynn said.
This was definitely his MO, and they all knew it.
“By any chance, Doctor Matel, can we see the tox report?” he asked, wanting the man to step away so they could have a few seconds with the victim.
Why?
To question her.
Flynn was about to whip out a trick from Rinnon’s arsenal.
The man nodded.
“Sure. The lab is upstairs, so I’ll go see if the reports are in. Give me a few,” he said, heading out.
When he was gone, Flynn jerked his head toward the exit.
“Lock the door for me. Rinnon is about to come out to help.”
Tommy didn’t hesitate to haul ass to it. Once Rinnon was out, he was unpredictable.
Because they needed to hurry, Flynn set The Big Scary free, and the demon God did his thing.
“Finally, some space to move.”
Just do what I need you to do, Rinnon. We don’t have a lot of time.
You’re annoying me.
Oh, what’s that feel like? Please, by all means, tell me so I can understand what it’s like to be pissed off by someone who constantly runs his yap.
This time, it was Rinnon who sighed.
Instead of arguing, he did what Flynn had asked him to do. Waving his hand over the body, she sat up, opened her eyes, and looked around.
Seth actually jumped.
“Jesus,” he muttered. “That’s horrifying. Maybe some warning,” he said.
Tommy laughed.
“Expect the unexpected,” he admitted. “This is Rinnon, after all.”
Yes, yes, it was .
“What happened?” Tommy asked, since Flynn was not there at the moment.
She began speaking.
“Help me. He grabbed me, bit me, and drank from me. I think he was on drugs.”
Tommy kept questioning their ‘witness’ , so they could get anything from her that might help find Mathew. Him being cloaked, like them, was a pain in the ass.
“Did you have sex with him?” Tommy asked. “Or anyone?”
She looked confused.
“No.”
Well, that was gross in all kinds of ways. The doctor said she showed signs of rough sex. That meant that she’d died, and then, someone fornicated with her.
Great.
It just got weirder and nastier.
Necrophilia.
Mathew was just as bad now as he was before Flynn terminated his existence.
“Where were you when you were attacked?” Tommy asked, trying to find the hunting ground for the vamp.
As she was trying to recall, she blinked, and it was really slow, like in a horror movie.
Seth was keeping his distance. While he was mated to a vamp, Rinnon’s power was sometimes…creepy.
The woman answered.
“I was in a club. Club Noir. I went with some friends to have fun.”
Flynn was making mental notes inside of the demon God because chances were, they were going to have to go there to find Mathew.
“Why am I dead?” she asked. “Why? What did I do to deserve this?”
The sad answer was nothing. She’d done absolutely nothing to deserve this, and that was why Mathew had to be stopped.
“I’m sorry,” Tommy said. “You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. What’s your name? ”
She began crying.
“It’s Ophelia Williamson.”
Tommy made a promise to her.
“We’re going to find who did this to you, and we’ll get you justice. I promise. I’m sorry that you died.”
“Me too.”
From where he stood by the door of the morgue, Seth gave them the heads-up.
His super hearing was picking up something.
“I hear footsteps. You have a minute.”
“Be at peace,” Rinnon said, as he waved his hand, sending Ophelia back to death.
Then, he felt his awareness being pulled back down, as Flynn was returning to the surface.
It was for the best. Rinnon didn’t know how to deal with toxicology reports. That wasn’t his area of experience.
Thank you, Rinnon.
You’re welcome, Flynn.
As the door was unlocked, it took ten seconds before Doctor Matel appeared.
“I have the reports,” he said, as he handed Flynn the paper.
He read over them and shared.
“Her tox was clean of drugs, but she did have a high BAC level. She was definitely drinking.”
Well, she’d told them that she was at a club, so that made perfect sense.
It reminded him of how he first met Jolie and Jacques those years ago. She must have been lurking in his mind because she made her presence known.
Oh, are we going dancing? Jolie asked. We both know I love to do that.
He laughed.
We? Yeah, I think you know the answer to that, wife.
Flynn, you know you want to. You love a sex club and dance club. Been there and done that together a few times.
Yes, yes, they had .
Because he was curious, Rinnon interrupted. While he was privy to most of Flynn’s memories, there were a few the man kept locked away to protect them.
It wasn’t like he randomly erased them.
Not intentionally.
What is this sex club thing? Why have you not shared this with me before?
Because those are private memories that are mine and Jolie’s. Mind your business.
When do I get private memories? I want half of your brain. That would be fair.
Never happening.
When he went to complain, he stopped the demon God so that he could focus.
Jolie too.
Can we not now? I’m working.
They both got quiet, but there was no doubt they were going to bug him later.
You better believe it.
Flynn focused on the ME.
“Thank you, Doctor. We appreciate your help. You should notify her family.”
“We don’t have an ID on her yet. She came in without a wallet.”
Because she deserved justice, they shared what Rinnon had found out.
“Try matching her to a woman by the name of Ophelia Williamson,” Seth said, clueing the man in.
There was no point making the family suffer through the red tape. That was cruel.
He didn’t question it, thankfully.
“Oh, thanks!”
Because they got something to use from the dead woman, they headed out.
As they were walking, Seth was researching Club Noir. It didn’t take him long to find it.
“Noir is in the warehouse district,” he said, showing the man the website.
Well, that was easy to find .
Flynn looked at his watch. Yeah, it was way too early in the day. They couldn’t hit a dance club in daylight. It was going to have to be later this evening. IF they went at all. That was going to depend on how much they found before the sun set.
Unfortunately for them, most of the clubs in New Orleans that were on the questionable side of town, didn’t open until nightfall.
How did he know?
Jolie took him to one for an anniversary present where they got to be wild, crazy, and have a good time. It was one of his favorite memories.
With the timeline, they didn’t have a second to waste, and taking Rinnon into a club…
That was the epitome of wasted time.
I’ll ignore you said that.
And Flynn ignored him.
Only, Rinnon and silence were not synonymous.
I want to see! Please? Pretty please? Don’t make me compulse you.
Flynn didn’t have time for it, so he gave up and shared that memory.
If it goes missing, I’m going to be pissed.
Rinnon enjoyed the memory.
Now, I’m lusty. Where is our woman? I feel the need to copulate and have her beneath me.
I’m working. Put your need away.
Has anyone told you, Flynn, that you’re about as much fun as…
Flynn was amused.
Couldn’t think of anything, huh?
No. Because you’re no fun.
Flynn directed his focus to Seth and Tommy since Rinnon was being ridiculous.
“Let’s head to the cemetery first. I want to try and avoid walking into a trap, and going dancing later when that club opens screams trap to me.”
Seth lifted a brow .
“Yeah, let’s avoid it. Dancing? Us? Together? We’re not really your type,” he joked. He was also trying to avoid because that meant his pregnant mate would try to follow to keep him safe.
And that made him nervous.
Flynn pictured it, and he laughed.
“I’m aware of the visual. Trust me, we’re going to have to work damn hard to avoid it. I’m not a glutton for punishment. No one in their right mind is going to send Rinnon into a club full of gyrating bodies. Oh, and Death too. This should be fun. What could possibly happen?”
Our wife kills everyone? Jacques offered, proving that he, too, was also lurking.
All around them, they heard Jolie’s laughter, and that said it all.
I do love dancing. I’ll find an outfit in case we need to go. Count me in .
Great.
How could this go wrong?
This was exactly why he was going to try and avoid that at all costs.
When they finally got outside, they found the human detective in the vehicle, but Cerise was nowhere to be found.
Immediately, Flynn began worrying. While she was marked, it was still daylight, and that was draining. He didn’t understand why she wasn’t where he left her.
“Where’s Cerise?” Flynn asked.
Logan pointed toward the park not far away.
“She hauled ass to get away from me.”
Flynn lifted a brow.
“Why did she do that?”
Logan went there.
“She is a vampyre. She has fangs and…and I don’t know what else.”
They all looked at him like he was three days past crazy. Flynn had fangs, and both men with him were mated to vampyres.
Fangs were the best part .
“And?” Flynn asked, betting this had something to do with them being mates. Apparently, the close quarters backfired.
Logan was blunt.
“They don’t exist. None of this can be real. None of it,” he said, repetitively as if he was trying to convince himself.
That did it.
They all laughed.
And laughed.
And laughed.
Oh, he was funny.
“Well, thanks for pointing that out, Detective. How did you get to be a detective by missing the big glaring fact that you’re absolutely wrong?”
Logan was so confused.
“She’s a monster.”
Oh, well, Flynn had news for him. Cerise couldn’t hurt him, but Flynn…he could, and he might if he didn’t stop with that word. His wife had once been a vampyre, and so had his other mate.
Flynn was curious.
“Let me get this straight. You’re okay with a demon God squatting in me, but not a vampyre? That seems completely irrational since I’M THE MONSTER .”
They all felt the energy surge through the vehicle.
Logan was so completely confused by everything, but he tried to explain.
“I mean, I don’t necessarily believe there is a demon God in you. I’m beginning to believe that I have head trauma from last night. None of this makes any sense.”
Yeah, well, it was going to get crazier.
That was for damn sure.
Flynn needed to get to the bottom of this.
“That doesn’t explain why she’s out in the sunlight in the park. Why is she out where she could be targeted by whoever is doing all of this?”
Yeah, he knew Mathew. The asshole would strike at him in any way possible .
Logan tried to explain.
“We kissed, and…”
Seth whistled, knowing this was bad.
“Don’t you have a girlfriend who thinks you guys are on your way to happily ever after?”
Flynn lifted a brow.
Oh, this was bad.
He recalled how a woman he’d slept with had been hellbent on hurting Jolie.
Well, I handled her. Cerise would do the same.
Handled was a mild word.
She took the woman apart when she tried to kill Flynn. Mates got mean like that.
Logan tried to justify it.
“Oh, trust me, I know I do, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like I was being pulled toward her. I fell into her eyes and felt all these emotions.”
Oh, Flynn got it.
Yep, he’d been right. Logan was her mate, and they were destined.
Flynn felt Jolie touching his mind.
Yes, my love?
It’s her mate, Flynn. She told me it was, Jolie admitted. It didn’t go well? She’s not open for me.
No. it didn’t. He either rejected her, or mentioned he has a woman already.
Oh, no.
Yeah, that seems to be the consensus.
You have to help her.
Well, now, it looked as if he was going to play relationship counselor too. This was badly timed, but what could he do? Cerise was his to protect now, and he’d do the job.
It looked like he was collecting vampyres.
Thank you, my love.
No problem, Jolie.
Flynn stared at Logan.
“I’ll go get Cerise. Get ready for the cemetery. We have work to do. ”
Getting out, he headed away, and when it was just the three of them, Seth hit him.
“You can’t go kissing vampyres when you have a girl. That’s going to get you killed.”
Literally.
Once he bonded with a vampyre, they would do anything to keep their mate.
Logan kept trying to explain.
“I couldn’t stop. I feel like I know here,” he said, touching his chest. “I just knew her the second we touched. I feel all weird and discombobulated with her far away. Like I’m itchy and twitchy.”
Seth got it.
“She’s your mate. That’s how I felt when I met Clariel. She took my breath away the second I saw her. I wasn’t seeing anyone though.”
He was watching Flynn walk toward her, and it bothered him that another man was moving toward Cerise. It made him want to get mean.
REAL mean.
“I should have gone to get her. I just don’t understand any of this,” he admitted. “Am I asleep?”
Tommy laughed.
“Nope. This is all real. That’s your wife-to-be, and you can fight it, but it won’t work,” he said, trying to use terms that he would understand as a human male.
“God. I want her so much,” he said, holding out his hands and they were shaking.
“Yeah, that space is going to be an issue. You didn’t give her blood, did you?” Seth asked.
He blinked.
“She cut my lip as she was kissing me.”
Oh, holy crap.
Well, Cerise had tasted him, so this was going to be so much harder for her, than him.
“She has these crazy long fangs. Do they all have teeth like that?” Logan asked, curiously.
Both men loved the fangs .
There was something so erotic about them during mating.
“Yeah, and when they bite you in the neck…Jesus. That’s the best orgasm you’re ever going to have,” Tommy admitted.
Logan stared at him like he was nuts.
“What? Orgasm? I don’t understand any of this. I’m really struggling.”
They could see that.
So, Seth explained.
“Clariel, my wife, is also a vamp. For the record, she saved your ass last night. Had it not been for that ‘monster’ , you’d be ripped to pieces in that cemetery.”
He blinked.
“For real?”
Seth nodded.
“As for what Tommy just said, let me just say that first time she fed from me…it’s ridiculous. The feelings and orgasm…trust me. Your human girl has nothing on the vampyre one.”
Logan stared at them.
“Do you guys hear what you’re saying?” he asked.
Tommy laughed.
“Yeah, because we’ve both been there,” he admitted, not telling him how he’d been damaged by vamps and then nursed back to health by his mate.
That seemed like a bad idea.
“Let her bite you, but not until you decide if you want to be with her. You’re going to have to ditch the human girlfriend though.”
Logan was sarcastic.
“Oh, I get a choice? Lucky me.”
Tommy shrugged.
“Well, you can fight it. She’ll eventually move on, but it’s harder for the vampyres—especially if she already tasted your blood. She’ll only ever have one mate. Oh, they’ll have sex with others, but there’s only one person for them in life. Flynn found Jolie and Jacques, and he never looked back.”
He didn’t know how to deal with this .
“I have a nice girl.”
Seth was blunt.
“Then walk away. Cerise will get over it. She’s going to live forever, and you won’t. When you die, finally, she’ll have some peace. That’s only fifty or so more years. She’s at least double that in age already.”
He blinked.
“Wait. She’s immortal? Are you guys too?”
Seth took this one.
“Yeah, she is. As for us, we won’t die until our mates die. If I’m three hundred, and Clariel dies, I’m going to die immediately. If she dies tomorrow, I could live since I’m still my biological age, but I’m eating my gun because I’m not living without my mate.”
He didn’t understand that.
His partner was sane.
“You’d kill yourself? Are you insane?”
Tommy agreed.
“It’s not a human thing. It’s completely different. For me, I’d cross in a heartbeat. When you find your other half, you see more clearly, you have strength that you didn’t have, and you can see better in the dark. Why would I want to go back to being a plain old human? I’m a mate. That’s special.”
Logan sat there even more confused than he had been. He didn’t know what to think.
What he did know was that Cerise called to him on some deep level that he had no control over.
Would he be able to fight that for long?
He wasn’t sure.
It appeared they were going to find out.
Meanwhile …
When Flynn reached her, Cerise was sitting on the bench, staring off into space with her sunglasses on. He already knew why. Tommy was giving him an update in his head to help him.
When he sat, she didn’t even look over.
That was a bad sign.
“Hey, Honey, are you okay?” he asked. “I heard what happened between you and the detective.”
She still stared off into the distance.
“No, I’m not okay. Can I ask you something?” she inquired.
“Absolutely. What is it, Cerise?”
She went there.
“Can you unmark me?” she asked. “So I can have some peace?”
Flynn lifted a brow.
This was really bad.
“Why would I do that? Then, you will die. The sun would end you, Cerise.”
“I know.”
And then he got it.
“Honey, immolation is a bad way to go. It’s painful and brutal.”
That was what she wanted. Cerise didn’t want to live forever anymore, and why not go out in a blaze of glory?
Ashes to ashes.
Dust to dust.
She slowly turned her head, and he saw the tear slip down her cheek past the sunglasses.
“He’s already in a relationship. When he kissed me, my fang nicked his lip. I am in his head, and I see her. He has someone. I’m too late,” she admitted.
Oh, shit.
“Cerise.”
She wasn’t done .
“I can hear him telling the other two men. He just told them he has a girlfriend. Not to mention, I scared him. I’m a monster to him, and that’s all I’ll ever be.”
He wiped that tear and put his arm around her shoulders.
Let me kill him. I don’t like how he’s making her cry, Rinnon admitted.
This will work out. Give it a chance. We can’t kill him because then, she will definitely lose him. At least now, there is a chance.
Fine.
Flynn knew how hard it was when you wanted your mate, and you couldn’t have them.
He’d been with Jolie without being able to be with Jolie. When you couldn’t be with your mate, it was soul crushing.
“Please set me free. I’d rather not exist than feel this agony. I thought losing Tobias hurt, but this…this is far worse.”
Flynn would do anything for their family, but he wouldn’t do that.
“I can’t do that, Cerise. I won’t help you destroy yourself. Your heart is hurting, but I can’t give you that peace. Once you carry that mark, it’s there forever. I can’t take it away.”
She just nodded.
“Okay.”
I can unmark her. She can go to death if she wants. Why would we force her?
We’re not forcing. We’re guiding. He’ll come around because if she’s his true mate, he won’t be able to stay away. How do you feel about Jolie?
Oh, they knew how he felt about her. He was feral. Only, he also had learned about loyalty and monogamy. It was a new concept, but apparently, Jolie expected it from the men in her life .
But he has a woman. It’s too late.
Flynn didn’t believe that. While Fate was a bitch, he believed things happened for a reason .
“Give him some time,” he suggested to Cerise. “This is new to him, and he needs to work through it.”
He remembered walking away from Jolie because she scared him. He still had the painting she’d left for him before he followed her to New Orleans.
I’m still sorry I scared you.
Baby, it all worked out. Well, minus that freeloader I’m carting around inside me.
HEY! That’s demon-God-freeloader to you.
There was their woman’s laughter.
Cerise had no hope, and she hurt so much.
“It’s a good thing we’re going back to Paris when this is done,” she said. “I won’t have to ever see him again.”
Oh, Flynn knew that wouldn’t stop the pain. Once you found your mate, it was something you couldn’t fight forever— EVEN if you were across the world.
The heart wanted what the heart wanted.
That was the bottom line.
He needed to know.
“Do you want me to send you home, so you don’t have to deal with him? Cami is at the lair. You can go there, and she’ll keep you company.”
She looked over.
It was clear she was considering it, and that said a lot since he’d seen her rush headlong toward a Leviathan. It wasn’t like her to run.
Finally, she decided.
“After the cemetery. Then, if you don’t mind, I need to get out of here. Now, I’m mourning Tobias and that my perfect mate has someone else he loves who isn’t me. Fate fucked me over, and I need some space.”
He gave her shoulders a squeeze and kissed her on the temple like a father would.
In a way, he was father to them all.
I technically am since I made everything .
I know. You keep telling me, Rinnon.
Flynn didn’t want Cerise to hurt, so he’d do whatever she wanted—except let her die.
“Okay, Cerise. I can do that for you. ”
She nodded.
Then, she pulled on her big girl detective panties and got ready to do the job.
“Can I sit up front? Being too close to Logan is uncomfortable. If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it, Flynn.”
He didn’t mind at all because he understood. That pull could be painful if it met a wall of resistance.
“You have shotgun, Detective. Tommy will understand.”
She was grateful.
Getting up, Flynn held out his hand, and when she took it, he simply held it to offer her some reassurance.
When they headed back to the car, Flynn clued Tommy in.
She’s taking the front. I need a new navigator, Flynn whispered into Tommy’s mind.
The detective is confused as fuck, Flynn. I feel bad for both of them.
Yeah, so did he.
When they got to the car, Tommy moved to get in the back, and Cerise put herself out of touching distance from the man.
The whole time, she wouldn’t look at Logan.
She couldn’t.
It was decided. After the cemetery, she was going back to Paris.
To hide.
Once there, she’d lick her wounds, the next one, that her life had inflicted on her. As if losing her family, and seeing Tobias killed wasn’t enough.
Yeah, Cerise wasn’t strong enough to do this.
She was officially out of hope.
* * * T u e u rA n t i q u i t i e s * * *
Watching
And Waiting
Not Far Away
He was following the man, as he prepared for his plan to destroy the asshole who ended his life.
Mathew had nothing but hate for Flynn Brogan, and had he been smart, he would have killed him years ago when he was still human.
That was his mistake.
Oh, and he would rectify it.
Now, with the relic, he was going to be unstoppable. He would find that sword, and he would use it so he could be a God among these losers.
Watch and see.
His revenge was coming.
And Flynn…
He would pay for what he’d done.
Bet on it.