Chapter 55
Fifty-Five
SOPHIE
A WEEK LATER
Dean Davenport, the leader of the Red Guard, asked me if I wanted to see my father before his death sentence was carried out.
I refused for two reasons. One, his mental state had deteriorated so much, the chances were he wouldn’t recognize me.
Two, I was protecting my peace of mind. Seeing him would only hurt me.
I still haven’t forgotten everything he’s done to me, and I’m not only talking about the events of last week.
I lived in a gilded cage my entire life, and I didn’t know any better to question it.
I believed the lie that he was protecting me, but the biggest threat was never King Raphael or his followers.
The danger was much closer to home. It took meeting Vaughn and learning about Lucca’s family to understand that everything I was taught had been a deception.
I decided to keep my apartment downtown until I can find a bigger place for Tish and me. As much as I love Vaughn, I’m not ready to move in with him yet, especially not while he’s living in Lucca’s mansion. Lucca’s inner circle is intense, and I like my privacy.
Vaughn woke up before I did, and when I find him in the living room, he’s staring at his phone with his brows pinched together.
“What’s wrong?”
He looks up, and I see the anguish swirling in his green eyes. “My sister thinks I should come clean to our mom about my new situation.”
I sit next to him, folding my legs under me. “But you don’t think you’re ready?”
He shakes his head. “Not in the least. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready. I’m terrified she’ll see me differently, that she won’t accept me.”
My heart feels heavy, breaking for him. Empathy wasn’t something I’d ever felt before. But Vaughn fixed what was broken in me, and now I’m susceptible to every emotion. I cover his hand with mine, squeezing it. “I seriously doubt that. From what you told me, she sounds lovely.”
He looks at me with pleading eyes. “Will you come with me?”
My stomach coils tightly. I’m not sure I’m ready to meet his family. The shard of doubt pierces my chest, and now it’s my turn to fear that his mother won’t accept me.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
He smirks. “Why, Soph? Are you afraid too?”
“I’m terrified. I’ve never met the parents before.”
He reaches for my face, cupping my cheek. “My mother will love you.”
“What if she thinks I turned you into a vampire?”
“She won’t. The timeline doesn’t add up anyway.” He leans in and places a soft kiss on my lips, making me melt on the spot. “Please, babe. Come with me.”
At this point in our relationship, Vaughn knows he can get me to do anything when he gives me those puppy eyes. But the same can be said when the situation is reversed. He’ll do anything I ask him to. We’re both crazy about each other and, according to Tish, disgustingly whipped.
“Oh, fine. You win. When do you want to visit her?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Is tonight too soon?”
“Tonight?” I shriek. “But… but I look like crap.”
He wrinkles his nose. “Are you crazy? Looking like crap isn’t a possibility for you.”
I pinch a lock of my hair. “Look at this. My color is faded.”
“She won’t notice.”
I jump from the couch and run to my bedroom.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to get ready.” I take off my PJs and underwear, tossing them out of sight.
Vaughn follows me and then spins me around. “You’re spiraling. Relax, babe.”
“I can’t relax.”
His lips curl into a devious smile. “I have just the thing that will help you.”
“What?”
He nudges me back until I’m sitting at the edge of the mattress, then drops onto his knees and opens my legs wide. My breath catches. I should have realized sooner that’s what he intended to do.
“Thanks for getting undressed already, sweetheart.” His tongue darts out, and he licks my clit with a slow stroke.
“You’re welcome,” I breathe out, threading my fingers through his hair.
Vaughn takes his time playing with my sensitive nub, alternating circling my clit and sucking it into his mouth. It doesn’t take long for my breathing to become shallow and the pleasure to build between my legs.
All my muscles tense, the sign that I’m about to climax.
Vaughn already knows that about me, and he adds his fingers to the equation.
He’s attacking from all fronts now, teasing me unmercifully with his tongue and fucking me with his hand.
I pull his hair harder when I lose the fight and my body surrenders to the assault.
“Oh my God. Yes!”
Vaughn continues his ministrations until my body stops shaking. Then he leans back, licks his fingers, and smiles. “Delicious as always.”
I grab him by the collar of his shirt and pull him to me. “It’s your turn to relax now.”
I kiss him hard, and besides being turned on, I’m also hungry, so it’s no accident when I nick his lower lip with my fangs.
Vaughn hisses, then picks me up, and we fall together on the bed with him on top of me.
He rolls his hips forward, rubbing his pants against my naked pussy.
The friction to my already stimulated spot makes my toes curl.
I run my nails down his abs until I reach his waistband. I need to get him out of his clothes immediately. In my eagerness to pop the button free, I end up breaking it off.
He laughs. “What just happened?”
“Nothing.” I kiss him again while I lower his zipper.
Vaughn helps me pull down his jeans, but only enough to free his erection. He then drags his hand down my sternum and pinches my nipple, making me cry out against his mouth.
“Are you hungry, babe?” he whispers.
“Yes.” I focus on the droplet of blood on his lip.
He curls his mouth into a lopsided grin and offers me the inside of his forearm. “Go on.”
Keeping eye contact, I bite him, and that’s when he enters me with a precise thrust. My eyes roll back into their sockets as my brain overloads with multiple points of pleasure—his blood on my tongue and his cock making me delirious.
“Soph, God. You feel so good,” he grunts.
His pace increases, and after I take a few pulls of his blood, I seal the wound and then bring his mouth to mine. The headboard bangs against the wall loudly, mixing with the creaking coming from the bed frame.
A guttural sound comes from deep in Vaughn’s throat when he comes, and then the mattress collapses with a loud crash. He tightens his hold on me and stops moving his hips. “What the fuck!”
“Oh my God.” I laugh. “We broke the bed.”
His startled expression turns into a smug grin. “That we did. Relationship goal achieved.”
“What? You wanted to break my bed?”
“I wanted someone I could get completely lost in and make the world disappear. I found that with you, Soph. The broken bed is just a casualty of amazing sex.”
I smile from ear to ear, my heart melting. “I suppose I have to buy sturdier furniture, then.”
“That’s a fact, babe.”
VAUGHN
Sophie and I had the right idea about that relaxation sesh.
Breaking her bed was the cherry on top. I’ve always wanted the type of sex life capable of damaging furniture.
But as I near my mother’s house, the gremlins in my stomach start wreaking havoc again.
My palms are sweaty when I park the car in the familiar driveaway.
I turn off the engine and glance at Sophie. “Ready?”
She makes a face, then laughs nervously. “No?”
“Come on. It’ll be fine.” I feign confidence I don’t have, then give her a quick peck on the lips because I know she wouldn’t want me to smear her lipstick.
Outside the car, I take her hand, and we walk side by side to the front door. I don’t ring the doorbell, though. Instead, I open the already-unlocked door and walk in. “Hello! Anyone home?”
I’m hit by the delicious aroma of apple pie baking in the oven and instantly feel guilty about it. That’s my favorite dessert, and I know Mom went through the trouble because of me. Hell.
“Vaughn!” Clarissa screams from the top of the stairs, then races down to hug me. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too, Clary.”
She steps back and looks at Sophie. “Hi.”
“Hello.” Sophie smiles, but I can tell she’s tense.
I wonder if she’s ever been close to a human child before.
“This is Sophie, my girlfriend. Soph, this is Clarissa, my youngest sister.”
“Nice to meet you, Clarissa.”
“You can call me Clary. I like your hair.”
Sophie touches a strand and blushes. “Thank you.”
“I like your accent too. Are you from London?”
“Yes, I am.”
Mom appears down the hallway, wiping her hands on the apron she has on. “What are you doing there standing by the door? Get in here.”
I break away from Sophie to hug my mother. It’s a habit, and I don’t realize she could sense something is different with me until too late. I stiffen, and she immediately leans back and looks me in the eye. “Is everything okay?”
I take a couple of steps back, running a hand through my hair. “Sure. Where’s Annabelle?”
“In the living room. Come here, I don’t want to get up from the couch.”
Mom looks over my shoulder and smiles. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your girlfriend, dear?”
Shit. I totally spaced out. “Yeah, yeah. Of course. Mom, this is Sophie.”
“Hello, Mrs. Bradley.” Sophie extends her hand for a handshake, but Mom pulls her into a hug too.
“You can call me Noreen.”
Sophie is also a bit stiff, but she does return my mother’s hug. “Nice to meet you, Noreen.”
“Well, I’d better get back in the kitchen. I hope you kids are hungry. I made a lot of food.”
Fuck.
Clarissa runs ahead of us, and then Sophie leans in and whispers, “Did you know we’d be having dinner?”
“No.”
I’m annoyed as hell when I walk into the living room. Annabelle should have warned me. She’s sitting in her favorite chair and texting on her phone.
“Hey, why did you let Mom cook so much food?”
“I didn’t know she was until I got home.” She looks at Sophie. “Hi, I’m Annabelle.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Sophie.”
Annabelle keeps staring in silence to the point that I think I should tell her to cut it out. But then she blurts out, “You are super pretty. No wonder Vaughn didn’t mind too much getting bitten by you.”
My eyes bulge. “Annabelle!” Then I look nervously at Clarissa.
She wrinkles her nose. “Eww, that’s gross.”
Sophie’s face turns beet red, making me want to throttle my sister.
“I think you should tell Mom now and not wait until you’re sitting at the table and can’t eat anything,” Annabelle adds, unbothered by her slipup.
“Why can’t Vaughn eat?” Clarissa asks.
“Yes, why can’t you eat, Vaughn?” Mom asks as she enters the room.
My throat becomes tight, and my pulse accelerates. I look at Sophie, all panicked and shit. She smiles and gives me a nod that says “You got this.”
“Mom, I have to tell you something.”
She stares at me expectantly but doesn’t say word, just waits for me to get mine out.
“I… I was attacked by a vampire.”
Her jaw slackens. “When?”
“A few months ago. It was pretty bad… a fatal wound.”
I let my declaration hang in the air for a bit, hoping she gets where I’m going with this. It doesn’t take long for the spark of understanding to appear in her eyes. She covers her mouth, and I see her fighting to not cry. My eyes burn too.
Mom walks closer and frames my face between her hands. “You’re still my son, and I love you. That will never change, Vaughn.”
I close my eyes and hug her fiercely, letting the tears of relief roll down my cheeks.
“What’s going on? Why are Mom and Vaughn crying?” Clarissa asks.
“Vaughn is a vampire now,” Annabelle says matter-of-factly, as if being a bloodsucker isn’t a big deal.
God. She truly has no filter.
“Whoa. Really?”
I turn around, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “Yeah.”
Clarissa stares at me as if I’m a unicorn. “Do you have fangs?”
“I do.”
“Can I see them?”
I’m mega uncomfortable, and I kind of freeze.
“They only drop when he needs to feed,” Sophie lies, and I thank her with my eyes.
“How do you know?” Clarissa asks. “Wait? Are you a vampire too?”
Sophie glances at me fleetingly before answering, “Yep.”
Clarissa’s eyes turn even bigger. “That’s so cool. Do you have any special powers?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Annabelle sits straighter in her chair. “Really? I didn’t realize vamps had special powers besides superstrength and speed.”
“Sophie is also a witch, which is really rare among vampires.” I walk over and throw my arm around her shoulder.
“Oh no. That means you can’t eat your favorite dessert anymore,” Mom laments.
“No. I’m sorry you went through all the trouble.”
“I’m not,” Annabelle pipes up. “More apple pie for me.”
“And me!” Clarissa raises her hand in excitement.
“Well, dinner is ready regardless. You can still sit at the table and tell me everything.”
We follow Mom to the dining room table, and for the first time since I was turned into a vampire, I’m certain everything will be all right.