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“I’m good. It’s just strange how none of these people smell the way they did last night.” The revelation feels strange to say, considering how badly I wanted to drain them all a mere twelve hours ago.
“They said there was nothing to worry about. I’m glad they were right,” he says. We continue through the paths until we reach the clearing where Ryland’s cabin stands. I feel a tug inside of me and wonder what that’s all about.
Since I haven’t had the urge to kill anyone, I step into the clearing to find everyone waiting for me. It feels strange to be the center of attention. Almost as if they’re waiting to see what I’ll do, like I’m an experiment. My eyes are instantly drawn to Garnet’s, and I freeze.
All I want is to go to her, but I’m scared. What if I hurt her? I can’t take that chance. I’ll keep myself away from all of them as much as I can. “Eli’s men delivered a new fridge and a few days’ supply of blood for you,” she says.
GARNET
I hate how much distance is between us right now, but I sense his hesitation. I hold myself back for a moment, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.
“That’s great. Thank you.” His response is polite and reserved. It almost feels like when our bond was damaged.
“Fuck it,” I mutter and race toward him, not giving James a chance to do anything but catch me when I jump into his arms. I kiss him deeply, my tongue delving into his mouth and exploring. I gasp when it scrapes along his new fangs, but not from fear. I’m excited for him to bite me, even if I won’t admit that to anyone.
His arms tighten around me, and I hum in response. It’s only been a day, but I missed him. I ease back from the kiss and look at him. I can’t explain why, but he looks a little different. It’s like his features are sharper somehow.
“I know, it’s weird. But I’m mostly still me,” he whispers, hugging me tightly to him and pressing his nose against my neck. “Why do you still smell as amazing as you did yesterday, but no one else does?”
“Because I don’t need a spell to protect me from you,” I answer. “None of our family took it. We trust you. You won’t hurt us.”
His arms release me as if I’ve burned him and he jumps backward ten feet before I fall on my ass. “Fuck, James, what was that?” Ry steps forward and helps me up while staring at my new vampire mate.
“I thought everyone was protected from me,” he responds.
“Everyone who needs to be is,” Ry answers. “We don’t need it, because you won’t hurt us. The four of us are the only ones not covered by the spell. Because we don’t need it.”
I can feel the confidence Ry is exuding, as well as James’ fear. “I know you’re worried about it. But honestly, James, you don’t have to be. We trust you and we know that you’d never hurt us.” I wish he could believe my words, even though I understand why he can’t.
The tears in his eyes nearly break my heart. I want to hold him and reassure him, but every time I step closer, he backs away. I don’t know what we can do to convince him that it’s safe for him to be here. He takes a deep breath, then steps closer. “I’m terrified that I’ll hurt one of you, or worse. But I’ll try. I need your assurance that you’ll stop me if I do something to harm you.”
“We’ll find a way to restrain you,” Ry says calmly. “But we won’t need to.”
Luca and Orym move closer now, and the four of us approach James. He stands still, hesitating, processing, waiting to see what happens next.
“See? This isn’t so bad, is it?” Orym asks.
“I’m actually feeling calmer with the four of you so close. I’d expected the thirst to take over. What is going on?” James is as confused as the rest of us. We all look at Dec.
“It’s part of the mate bond. You’ll keep him centered and grounded. I would think it should work the same way with your magic. The five mates together will be stronger than on their own,” he explains.
That explains a lot of things that both Trevan and the Moon Goddess have said. The five of us need to stick together. And I’m certain we can do that. For the first time in a while, I finally feel like we could defeat Amber and save everyone.
Confidence feels good, and I’m determined to hold onto this feeling for as long as I can. Ry clears his throat, though, and I know that it’s time to tell James what he’s missed.
“What is it?” James asks, realizing that the mood just changed.
“Those symbols Red drew on the wall before?” Ry starts, and James nods. “Those were for protection. She drew them again today, but Trevan was here, and he explained that they’re Fae magic. We have to leave them up, and the five of us need to be here for the protection to work.”
“Oh. Wow, that’s crazy. How did you discover the symbols? I thought you didn’t know you were half Fae until after you’d been drawing those for a while.” James’ statement and question draw me back into the conversation.
“The Fae elders were trying to communicate with me, but I didn’t realize it until last night. I actually talked to them. They didn’t mention the symbols, but if my father says that’s what they are, then I believe him,” I explain.
“So, that’s just another piece of the puzzle falling into place. I’m realizing that you were right when you said we each have something to offer and a part to play in this. And I’m sorry it took me so long,” James says, pulling me back into his arms.
I sigh against his chest and let him hold me for a minute. “As much as I want to stay here with you guys like this all day, we have a lot to do. And we’re running out of time. The Wolf Moon is tomorrow.”
I watch their faces as they process what I’ve just said. We all knew it was close, but I’m not sure anyone was aware of just how close. I’m ready to get this over with, and can’t wait to face off with Amber, now that I’ve spoken with the Moon Goddess and have my mates with me.
