Chapter 25 Francois
Francois
The memory of Maeve’s face as I’d lost control of myself and dented Temple’s van haunted me. I’d never wanted to cause her fear or revulsion, but it looked as though I’d managed both.
I leaned forward in my seat as we approached Nightfall. The sooner we were back there, the better. We’d be safe inside those wards and then I could start to fix my mistake.
But Maeve! My mate. Someone else had bitten her. Nausea like I’d never known overwhelmed me. I’d never expected to be in the position of a vampire reclaiming his mate.
Preferred mates were double virgins—sexually and never having been bitten. Nicolas’s Leia had been both. That’s what I’d thought…
But I’d been wrong then. So wrong. Maeve was one hundred percent my mate. A bite from another wouldn’t stand in my way.
I glanced around the van, my gaze landing on Sam. But it was possible. She’d been a thrall after all. At least one other had bitten her prior to Kyle. Maybe several others. If I could find nothing else, I’d talk to her and Kyle.
Shit. I shook my head. I hadn’t protected her. Even with the full might of the House Dupont—the king and his regent—I hadn’t been able to keep my mate safe. How could I have failed?
When we got out of the car, I guided her as though she were elderly, but vampire venom was already coursing through her veins. There was no way to know how that would affect her.
She could die. Some fucking Ancient could have killed my mate.
I shook my head. I couldn’t think like that. I smoothed my hand over her back as I guided her through the living room toward her own bedroom—not the one where I’d most recently pleasured her. For this transitional phase, she’d probably want her own space. Or something.
What the hell did I know about women turning into vampires? They all died, right?
“Where are we going?” She pulled away and turned to face me. “I want to talk to the others and find out everything that happened. Did we get the blood we needed?”
What? Why did she want to know that? That was not relevant in the slightest right now. There were far bigger things to think about than how the plan had progressed. There would always be time for other plans, other missions, other attempts.
There was only one Maeve.
Only she mattered.
I took hold of her hand and drew her along again, and she fell quiet as though surprised by the abruptness of my movement. But I couldn’t think of the things I needed to say to make her understand. I just needed to know she was somewhere safe.
We entered her room and she pulled away for a second time.
She paced to the wall and back again, pushing her hair out of her face when it fell where she didn’t want it. Then she blew out an exasperated sigh. “What’s wrong, Francois? Why are we in here by ourselves?”
Even hearing her voice tested my control. I didn’t want to control myself any longer. Was there any point in my control now?
I didn’t answer that last question. I didn’t dare. I couldn’t give myself permission to become the monster again, and there was no telling what would happen if I loosened my control.
I couldn’t take any risks. She was perfect. So perfect. It was hard to look at her now and not be consumed by need. Someone else had tried to ruin perfection, had claimed her for themselves.
One of those fuckers had touched her. I fought against the warring emotions inside me.
“Francois? What’s wrong?” She stepped forward, right into the space I’d been trying to create for myself.
I forced my focus to her arm before I lifted it and examined her wound. The bitemark was inflamed now, puffy. The vampire hadn’t had chance to heal it. Or more likely, they’d wanted me to see.
This was a deliberate claim. A declaration of war.
I remembered that one detail about the Ancients anyway. Their bites had the power to turn immediately. No blood exchange or mating ritual. Literally a wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.
Without the thanks. Just the brutality of change.
And the sight of the bite mark confirmed all of my worst fears. There was definitely enough venom in her system to turn her.
“Are you okay?” I met her gaze as panic flashed through me.
I couldn’t control any of this. I couldn’t stop the turning or control the events that were about to take place.
“Are you in any pain? Does it hurt?”
She shook her head carefully. “I’m a bit warm and there are some loud noises. I don’t know where they’re from. Can you hear those? It’s almost like they’re actually in my skull.”
“I’m sorry.” There were no other words. I was so sorry. So, so sorry.
I should have done better.
She smiled as I tucked her hair behind her ear, and I leaned my forehead against hers.
“I love you.” My words were a whisper. It was more than love but they hadn’t invented how to say that yet.
“I’d do anything for you.” I paused, wanting to prolong this moment longer.
It was peaceful now. I loved her. That was what I really wanted her to know.
Not this next part. I drew her closer. “You’re being turned, Maeve.
I can’t stop it. The Ancients. They can…
they’re very powerful. They can turn you with one bite. ”
“What?” She drew back and her eyes were wide, her bewilderment plain to see. She touched her neck then glanced at her wrist. “But it was a second. It barely… I didn’t…” She fell quiet and met my gaze again. “It can’t… I can’t… I’ve read about it. I know that’s not the way it’s done.”
“It’s a bite from an Ancient, mon ange. The first vampires.” I chuckled but there wasn’t a drop of humor in my body. “Legend says they’re the descendants of gods. They’re a power like no other vampire. A drop of their venom can turn a human.”
“But I’ve done all the research. I know about turning. I didn’t…I didn’t know about them.” Tears glistened in her eyes and I drew her close again, closing my own eyes as the front of my shirt grew damp from her quiet tears. “I didn’t want this.”
Her words struck a chord. She truly hadn’t wanted to be vampire. She’d already rejected me once and this felt like another. I pushed away thoughts of myself. It wasn’t my time. I could mourn Maeve’s choices later.
“Let’s make you comfortable.” That was really the only thing that mattered.
If I could get her through this, maybe I could fix everything else. Or I could talk to the people who knew how to fix it.
I undressed her and laid her in the bed before undressing and climbing in after her. She curled against me like the movement was automatic, and I held her close as she cried a little more.
“I don’t even know why I’m crying,” she said as she choked back another sob. “I think it was just a shock.”
I smoothed her hair. “Your choices were taken away, mon ange. This is grief.” My heart ached for her.
“How long do I have? How much time?”
I sighed. She made it sound like a death.
Perhaps for her it was. “I’m not a turned vampire.
I was born. My experiences are limited to stories I’ve heard.
” I didn’t mention all of my personal failures.
She knew about those. “I think it’s different for every human.
Usually the transition takes one or two days.
Sometimes a week.” I finished on a small shrug.
“It isn’t an exact science. It sounds strange, but biology rarely is.
There are many variables at play, and I don’t know when one of the Ancients last turned someone.
I haven’t read enough of the research yet to know.
I’m not sure any of us has.” It sounded like such a fucking copout.
It wasn’t one, though. We really didn’t know enough about the Ancients yet.
And now this had happened.
“I couldn’t even write it,” Maeve murmured.
“Hm?” I moved so I could look down at her as she rested against my chest.
“In my blog. I couldn’t have made this up.” She laughed a little. “A week, huh? I’ll be useless for that long? Seems like the whole process could be a little more efficient.”
“Your body is becoming a whole new being,” I reminded her.
“But don’t worry. I’ll help you through it.
I’ll do whatever I can. I’ll stay. Guard you.
I won’t let anything happen to you. Fuck the war, fuck the Ancients.
” I paused. “Even fuck the Duponts. Nothing else matters. Only you. All I need is you.” Hope gripped me with fervor.
I just needed her to get through the transition.
I could help her if she did but this hard part, it was all on her, really.
She sucked in a soft breath as I finished speaking then lifted her face toward me. I lowered my head until our lips met in a soft kiss. Her hands cupped my face and for a moment, it was as though she was the force I needed to live. Like I could somehow breathe her in like humans breathed air.
“I want you,” she whispered. “I want all of you. Inside me. While I’m still human. Before I turn into someone else. I want to be able to remember now.”
I didn’t answer right away. Of any words she might have said, those weren’t the ones I expected.
Blood filled my cock, and I cleared my throat.
“Are you sure?” I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anything before, and I couldn’t guarantee I could control myself any longer.
Even just lying here next to her teased at the edges of that control, tempting me to do more.
“I might not be able to contain my bite,” I whispered as I trailed my fingers along her jawline before letting my fingertips drop to her neck and that pulse point I desired most of all.
I wanted to press my tongue against it and sink my fangs into her vein.
“I want to mark you as mine for all the world to see. I want them all to know.”
She pressed her hand to my chest. “Do it then.”