36. Vani
I can’t believe the twins claimed me so publicly that way. Saint had his arms around me as if we were a couple, but then Lex joined us. Saint and Lex danced with me so sexily. I could see people watching us, whispering to each other, probably wondering what our arrangement is.
I like that they’ve claimed me, and I’m super proud that people know men like them want me, but also, I don’t want to be a punchline around the college. I might not want babies and the domesticity Mackenzie has, but I’d like something a little bit more … official. What, though, I don’t really know.
Sighing, I push my thoughts away and walk toward Zane. He catches me around my waist and pulls me in for a deep kiss. I feel his erection pressing against me, and my gasp of shock at his intense kiss is swallowed by his mouth.
He lets me go, and I almost stagger back, I’m that dazed from the onslaught. The music cuts, and a clanging fills the air.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the esteemed establishment that is Verona Falls, thank you for coming tonight.”
I whip around to see Saint standing on the dining table, shouting to be heard. He hits the pan in his hand again with the spoon, and, when he has the attention of the entire room, he carries on.
“We asked you all here tonight because the Vipers have something to say.”
He jumps down from the table, and Lex walks into the room with a cake on a platter. It’s big, three tiers, and pretty colors. I frown. It’s not my birthday. What’s going on?
He places the cake carefully on the table in front of me, and I read the words. Will You Be Ours?
My heart stutters and then races into a new, faster rhythm. Oh, God.
“Vani,” Lex says as he takes my hand. He pulls a piece of paper from his pocket and begins to read. “These are the words of the Vipers, words we want to say to you in front of all our friends, here at the college, and some foes.”
There’s a ripple of laughter, and he smirks and carries on.
“We’ve not always treated you the way you deserve. There have been times, lots of times, when one or more of us has been a complete dick. For that, we’re sorry, sorrier than you can ever imagine. We’ve fucked up, repeatedly, and we want to spend the rest of our lives making it up to you. Because we all knew one thing—from the minute you stepped foot on Verona Falls grounds, you were destined to be ours.”
He hands the paper to Saint, who carries on reading. “We want you to be with us as ours in this grand adventure called life. We know you don’t want marriage and babies and all that shit—at least not yet—but we still wanted to do something as a sign of our commitment to you.”
I clap my free hand over my mouth, and Lex squeezes the other one, which he’s still holding.
“We will cherish you, love you, and protect you. All we ask in return is your love.”
He turns to Zane, who points to Lex, Saint, and then his own heart, and signs We love you.
Tears are running down my cheeks, and I swipe them away as I sign back to Zane. I love you all, too.
He grins and swoops me up, twirling me around and around. The rest of the party cheers, and I’m half laughing, half crying.
Then I’m being put down, and Lex is cutting the cake. He cuts the entire thing in half instead of cutting slices, and it reveals a velvet bag inside the cake.
He pulls it out, brushing crumbs from it, and opens the drawstring. I catch my breath. I thought he said this wasn’t about marriage.
Reaching inside, he takes out three rings and hands one to Saint and one to Zane. The three men all put the rings on their wedding fingers. They’re silver, I think, and they’re in the shape of a snake.
They drop to their knees as one, and a rippled gasp echoes around the room. My face is on fire, but as I look down at my three men, my Vipers, kneeling for me, I feel a rush of love so strong it makes me sway on my feet.
“These rings are a sign of our commitment to you,” Saint says.
“Share this adventure with us?” Lex adds.
Zane reaches into the bag and pulls out one more ring. A silver snake, smaller than theirs, a little more delicate, but still bad ass, and holds it up. The question shining in his eyes has me laughing in sheer joy as I nod. “Yes.”
Zane slips the ring on my finger, and the room goes wild.
I can’t take this all in. It’s too much, and I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve to have not one, but three men who love me.
“Wait,” Lex calls, and everyone falls quiet again. “We’re not done.”
I’m confused. What else is there?
“The rings are just a symbol, for others to see we’re together, but nothing is stronger than blood.” He picks up the knife he’s just used to cut the cake, and wipes the sharp blade on a cloth.
Zane puts out his hand, and to my shock, Lex cuts a V into his palm.
“Hot blood,” Lex says.
Saint holds out his palm as well.
“Hot deeds,” Saint grates out as his brother slices his palm in the same shape.
Lex hands Saint the knife, and he cuts Saint’s palm as he murmurs, “Hot thoughts.”
They all turn to me.
“Your turn, Venom,” Saint says. “Join us through blood.”
I nod, but I’ve got something else to show them. I pull away the small covering on the inside of my wrist to reveal the tattoo I got that afternoon.
Zane signs at me. Beautiful.
And it is. The simple script says We Are Vipers.
Saint runs the blade of the knife across my palm in the same V-shape, and I suck air over my teeth and bite down on the sting of pain. Then we all hold our hands together, allowing our blood to mingle. I sense the horrified stares of those around us, how we’ve gone from the sweetness of cakes and rings to us standing here, our hands joined and blood dripping down our wrists, but I don’t even care.
Hot blood, hot thoughts, hot deeds…we are Vipers.
“The mansion is your mansion now too,” Lex says. “You’re one of us now, Vani. Our Venom for always, joined by blood and our vow. We’ll never let you go.”
Those words should terrify me, but they don’t. They ground me and make me feel safe.
But then I think of something.
“What about your dad?” I ask the twins. “He’s not going to like this.”
Lex shrugs. “We’ve decided we don’t care what he thinks. He can’t force us back to France. We’ve both got enough money to last us. He can cut us off completely if he wants, disown us, even. Then, when our time is done at Verona Falls, we can do whatever the hell we want. The four of us can travel the world together, if we choose. Maybe even go to Greece.”
Zane grins, and I picture us all on a big boat with Zane at the helm.
They take turns kissing me, and I block out the rest of the room. Their kisses are a promise for what comes later, after the party’s finished and it’ll be only the four of us again.
Worried the blood is going to make a mess of my pretty dress, I go to wash my hand and find a cloth to cover it up.
A feminine voice comes from behind me. “Congratulations.”
I turn to see Mackenzie grinning at me. She pulls me into a hug, and I squeeze her back. “I’m so happy, I think I’m going to burst,” I say.
“You deserve it.” She holds my hands, careful of the cut on my palm, as she smiles at me.
The party is already back in full swing. Everyone is drinking and dancing. I’m so dazed I can’t take it all in.
“Oh, great, she’s here!” Mackenzie suddenly announces, half standing on tiptoes to see over everyone’s heads. “I asked my friend Camile to come tonight. I wanted you to meet her. You’ve had such bad luck with the way Angelica glommed on to you from the start, so it’s time for you to meet some nice people, and there are some here, I promise. Camile is one of the good ones.”
Her friend approaches us. We’ve been introduced before, but never really had the chance to meet properly. I did hear a rumor that at some point Saint and Lex were being dicks to her. I didn’t pay it much heed, as I was new then, but they better treat her with only total respect from now on. I won’t have them being sexist pigs.
Camile is pretty, but she’s not alone. There’s a girl with her, and I find myself unable to look away as I watch her approach. She’s striking but not pretty; that word doesn’t suit her.
She’s beautiful, in an ethereal way. Her hair is iron straight, and a natural pale blonde. Her eyes are huge, and her lips are a small, pretty bow shape. She’s wearing a white dress, which with her pale skin makes her look almost ghostly. She has her chin down, her hair half-falling over her face. Her eyes, which could almost be gray in certain lights, dart from side to side. She looks fucking terrified, as though she’d rather be anywhere than here.
“That’s the new girl,” Mackenzie says softly. “Ophelia. I’ve not met her to talk with much yet, but Camile has been asked to show her around for the next week or two. I think she’s had a bad time before coming here. There are lots of rumors, and I’m not sure what is and isn’t true, but they say she escaped a cult or something terrible like that.”
I smile at Camile as she reaches us, and turn to Ophelia, giving her what I hope is a reassuring smile. I know what it’s like to be the new girl. How scary it is.
Ophelia smiles back, but it’s distant. Her right eye has a scar down the side, and up close it’s a paler shade than her left eye.
There’s something almost spooky about her.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Camile says brightly to Mackenzie, and the two of them hug.
I’m soon saying hello, too, and then Ophelia is introduced to me, and then to the Vipers.
They surprise me with how polite they are with her. Gentle, almost as if they can sense she’s broken somehow.
“Shall we grab you a drink?” Camile asks.
“Just soda, please,” Ophelia says, her voice a surprising contrast with her waiflike looks. It’s husky and kind of sexy.
They head past us to the kitchen.
“My Duchess, will you do me the honor of a dance?” Kirill grabs Mackenzie’s hand, and she giggles as he pulls her to the dance floor.
I’m about to ask Zane to come dance with me when Saint straightens and shakes his head. “No, you’re not fucking invited,” he shouts.
I turn to the door and gasp.
In the doorway, wearing fucking masks like the freaks they are, stand the Preachers. The memories of the night they took me rush back, and I feel as if I’m going to pass out.
The two who held me are there. I recognize their builds even if I can’t see their faces, but the third guy is fucking huge. Cain, I think Saint said his name was when I asked.
He’s as big as Zane, which is saying something. He’s wearing a black t-shirt, and his arms are massive and corded with muscle. He has no ink at all that I can see except for one symbol on his upper bicep. I don’t know what it means.
“Get the fuck out of here, now,” Saint snarls.
“We’re not staying,” the blond one, Roman, says. “I just want my fucking cross.”
Saint scoffs. “What? I don’t have it.”
Roman’s eyes burn through the hole in his creepy mask. These guys are total freaks. “Yes, you do.”
The way he says it is so sure.
“How the fuck do you know?” Saint asks casually.
“Because I asked the spirits, and they told me.”
Jesus. A shiver runs down my spine. Whether he did or not, it’s a creepy thing to say.
Saint sighs and crosses the room. He pulls open a small drawer in the old, dusty bureau at the back of the room. “Fine. I don’t want the cursed thing, anyway. I found it in the mud, so you’re lucky. Anyone else would have sold it.”
Roman walks into the room and snatches the cross from Saint.
“Right, you have your cross, so off you fuck.” Lex stands by Saint. “This is a celebration. No need to bring the vibe down with your emo wizard vibes.”
“Don’t joke about their ways,” Saint says mockingly. “They really don’t like it.”
“Remember what I did to you the last time you joked about us, cheri. ” Malachi edges closer. “Next time, I might just pull the trigger.”
What is he talking about?
Saint doesn’t answer, but his throat bobs as he swallows.
Zane steps forward and signs something.
To my surprise, the biggest one answers. “You’re right. Roman, Malachi, come on. We’ve got the cross.”
He turns to go, but then he falters, and his entire body goes rigid. He’s staring behind me, and I turn to see Camile and Ophelia have stepped out of the kitchen area.
Ophelia looks up, and the huge man in front of me slowly lifts his mask. His face is handsome but hard. His eyes burn as he stares right at the woman behind me.
“Ophelia?” he growls.
She lets out a small, strangled cry and runs.
She bolts like a damned fawn running from a predator. She shoots past the Preachers and us and straight out the door.
“Oh, my God!” Camile places her drink on the side and goes to follow her.
“No.” Cain grabs her upper arm, halting her. “I’ll go after her.”
She scoffs. “No way. I’ve been told to look after her, and there’s no way I?—”
“I know her,” he says, his voice deep and serious.
Then he turns and gives chase, following Ophelia out into the dark of the forest.
“Should we go after them?” I ask Saint, biting the inside of my lip with worry.
The other two Preachers have followed on Cain’s heels. All I can picture is the pale girl in the white dress fleeing between the trees while men in masks chase her.
“This is your night,” Dom says, interrupting. “We’ll go make sure she’s okay.”
“Camile? You coming?” Tino asks.
She nods and addresses us. “Congratulations, guys. Sorry this is cut short.”
“It’s fine. We’re wrapping this party up, anyway,” Saint says. “We need to celebrate in private.”
The Devils are already out the door, and Camile follows them. Mackenzie gives me one more hug.
“I better go and see that my men don’t get into a fight with the Preachers.”
She heads out after the Devils, and Saint orders everyone to start drinking up.
“That was weird, huh?” I say to Lex.
He shrugs, seemingly unconcerned. “Those guys are weird, full stop. I don’t really give a crap about what they do.”
Neither do I, but I keep thinking back to that haunted girl and the fear in her eyes. Still, she has the Devils, and Mackenzie, and Camile looking out for her, and I’m sure they’ll keep her safe.
“Guys,” Saint shouts to the stragglers still in the room. “With all due respect. Get the fuck out. We need time with our girl.”
The last few guests head to the door, and I turn to see my three men staring at me, hunger in their gazes.
We want you, Zane signs at me.
I smile back. “You have me. Forever.”
Saint moves behind me and kisses my neck. “We’re going to give you the whole goddamned world, Vani.”
Lex agrees. “But first we’re going to make sure you’re not going to be able to walk right tomorrow.”
“Is that right?” I flirt back. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The End.