Chapter 11
NATALIA
With my blue fire crackling just under the skin, I crossed my arms over my chest and gave a very pointed look at Dante and André. “Anyone care to explain?”
“I’d love to, Cuore mio, but I also have arrangements to make.” Shadows surged from the room, swirling around Dante before anyone had a moment to object. “Good luck, dude.” His words echoed through the Twilight as he disappeared.
“Coward…” André mumbled.
“Your heart, my ass!” I yelled after Dante, seeing André’s lips quiver. “I guess it’s your turn now.” The bite vanished from my voice as awkwardness swiftly settled between us.
Oh, I was still pissed they had somehow managed to defuse the situation, but the tension between André and I now that I wasn’t his sweet, and innocent Natasha anymore was turning into a monster. I didn’t want to be blamed for destroying yet another part of Natasha’s life.
Clearing his throat, André took a step back from me, as though he needed to keep his distance from the “anomaly” before him and placed both hands in the pockets of his jeans.
His response to me only served to infuriate me again.
“What the fuck is his problem?!” I asked Star, getting nothing but crickets. “Fine, give me the silent treatment, but you know I didn’t do it intentionally. Both you and I were affected by the attack; I wasn’t even conscious…”
Pinning André with my gaze, I dropped my hands to my lips. “I’m going to do this whether the three of you like it or not.”
“I have no doubt…” he replied nonchalantly.
“I’m rescuing Anastasia,” I pressed.
“I believe you.”
“You are being a condescending asshole!”
His lips quivered slightly, and I swore I saw red.
“I am agreeing with you—”
“I swear to the Goddess…” I threatened, sending his gaze straight to the red strands that now adorned my hair and then to the eerie irises that disconcerted him so much.
Letting out a heavy breath, he nodded. “Where exactly are you going to start looking?”
“What?” I blinked, confused.
“Based on what Hannes shared with us about his discovery of hidden RavenWolf packs in the U.S., there are at least twenty places where they could have taken Anastasia, and Hannes only found a few of their locations, the others we don’t have yet.
That’s not counting the Vampiri who seem to have made a pact with them.
If we count them as a new clan apparently hellbent on destroying us, then there are other places where they could have taken her…
probably Europe. So, where exactly are you going to start? ”
Oh, he thought he was so clever, didn’t he?
My eyes narrowed on him. “Okay, first of all. I wasn’t just going to fly out there into the void and hope I just happened to land where they were keeping Anastasia captive. Give me a break, André. How helpless do you fucking think I am?”
I threw my arms in the air, disbelieving. Did he actually think that was what I’d meant by saying I was going to rescue Anastasia?
His jaw tensed, and I could see the pause in his gaze, but I didn’t even give him a chance to open his mouth.
“Second of all, you are absolutely right, André. I need more information in order to know where they could have taken her and form a plan. Except, you forget the only reason I don’t have that marvelous information you just mentioned—like Hannes knowing there were hidden RavenWolf packs in the U.S.
, how many there are, where they could be, or if Anastasia might be in Europe instead is because the three of you assholes haven’t shared it with me! ” I barked.
André’s mighty, know-it-all attitude slowly fell, and realization crossed his gaze as he looked at me, remaining silent.
“You are so fucking high on your pedestal of Goddess Chosen Saviors that you forget I’m not below you, I’m supposed to walk beside you… and that includes you respecting me enough to include me.”
Regret and a tinge of sadness captured his expression. “Natalia, we never thought—”
“Let me finish…” I added, my ire dying as I took a settling breath.
He slowly nodded.
“I do need you. I may have this firepower but I’m not omnipotent and I’m not pretending to be.
You, Dante, and Hannes are my mates, but that means more than us mating.
I need your respect. I not only deserve it, but I demand it.
My entire life I was gaslighted into submission.
My voice silenced. My inner strength crushed.
My wishes disregarded. I am no longer that person, André.
I have awakened to the truth, and I will not let anyone treat me like that again. Ever. Not even you. Do you understand?”
I swallowed, my insides quaking from the ferocious determination coursing through me, my fists trembling from the need to protect myself above all. Never again…
“No one is above me. I’m a Vampiress, and Starlight is certainly not a weak, Omega wolf.
She’s an Alpha. For this to work, the three of you need to stop seeing me like I’m an innocent, helpless girl, shielded from the world, who you had to rescue…
I might have been that once, but I’m not anymore.
You need to realize that I’m not your charge. I’m your equal.’”
A heavy breath expanded his chest as he watched me, processing my words. Emotions swirled through his eyes—a tinge of regret, appreciation, and enlightenment among others—but he remained silent, seeming to need a few moments to gather his thoughts.
“I’m sorry, Natalia. You are right. There is a part of me, of us, that still sees the innocent Natasha we needed to rescue. It takes one look into your eyes to see that you are not that version of yourself anymore. And I’m not talking about the red irises.”
He took a step forward, slow and measured, making it clear to me that he wanted me to feel like he was respecting my space while still trying to connect to me. I truly appreciated that.
“It was never our intention to behave as if we are above you. We are not and we don’t want to be.
But please understand that the need to make sure you are safe is never going to go away for us.
We are your mates and that also makes us your protectors, there is nothing we can do about that.
I respect you and have no doubt Dante and Hannes do too.
I’ll talk to them so we can do a better job of showing that to you… ”
Starlight’s, and Natasha’s emotion tightened my throat with his response because we had never gotten that from anyone. I pushed it back, swallowing, and accepting his apology. It showed me how much we actually mattered to them, and that they truly loved us and respected us.
“Although Hannes might be ahead of us on that one.” He snorted. “He’s used to being around strong women.”
That made my lips quiver. “He did point out I wasn’t asking for permission… but then again, he also barged in here like he was going to destroy something.”
Humor shone in André’s eyes, but he didn’t let it take over. “I mean, he still an Alpha Wolf Shifter and Mr. Temperamental, so…”
“True.”
“I really wasn’t trying to be a condescending asshole, I’m sorry I came across that way,” he added. “I know you are a capable woman. I was just trying to point out that even though Dante, Hannes, and I would follow you into battle blindly, it’s best if we have a plan.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Then, next time, instead of barging in to tell me what I can and can’t do, and pointing out everything I don’t know, you might want to offer your help.
Ask what I’m thinking, if I have an idea, or if I know where to start.
Sit with me and provide the information I’m missing so we can form a plan together… ”
“Reverse psychology, nice.”
“I know it’s a wild idea, but it might work.” I sarcastically shrugged.
A chuckle escaped him at that, but his haze became troubled as he held my gaze, focusing on my red eyes again.
I sighed. “Have you guys heard anything from Dresden? You are not keeping that from me too, are you?”
He shook his head. “We haven’t heard from him, but it’s barely been a day,” he excused.
“I understand…” I offered softly.
“My guess is he wasn’t able to catch up to them quickly enough to get her back last night, so he had to switch strategies.
Knowing him, he’s going to stay low. Make them think they were successful in shaking him so he can better assess the situation.
He’ll evaluate the area they took her to, how strong their pack is, if there are any Vampiri there, and how to best get in to rescue Anastasia.
He won’t risk her safety by being impetuous…
Dresden will contact us the moment he has that information so we can help him, or at the very least, to let us know. ”
My lips pursed as I mulled over his words. That made perfect sense, the trick was finding the patience to wait.
André’s eyes fell to my lips as the silence and tension stretched between us. Only, his jaw contracted the instant he glanced up at my red eyes. That strange, troubling emotion gleamed in his gaze yet again.
Now he was just trying to piss me off. “Okay, that’s enough. Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room or what?”
Not expecting me to be so direct, he blinked.
Me? Not direct? Had he met me?
“Okay, André. I’m sorry your sweet Natasha isn’t the one standing before you.
But we’ve already established I’m not her, even though this is her body.
I have red eyes because, and you are going to be shocked when you hear this, I am a Vampir too.
Just like you! And as you already know, though I just found out, being one means having eerie red eyes. ”
André’s nostrils flared with my sarcasm, his jaw straining so impossibly that I expected it to pop.
“Also, you are a fucking hypocrite. Your eyes went bright red when I mentioned Arnoldt and his evil Vampir friend wanted to drain my blood—and they are still red, by the way. Right now. I’m looking at your red eyes. So, answer me this. It’s okay for you to have red eyes but not for me?!”