AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘What is it?’
‘Jacob’s seraph brothers have arrived and our skies are now secured.’
I grinned. ‘I bet just saying that gave you a semi. You and that roof.’
His eyes narrowed. Before I could say anything, he started tickling me mercilessly, and at some point the rolling around and laughing transformed to rolling around and kissing. Someone knocked at the door. We were only a few buttons away from being caught in flagrante delicto.
We hastily stood up and straightened our clothing. Greg moved to sit behind the security desk. ‘Come in,’ I called.
Liam stuck his head around the door. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you, alpha, but Mr Alessandro is here to see you.’
‘Which one?’ I asked. I had a wealth of Alessandro relatives.
Liam cleared his throat. ‘The vampyr one.’
Wonderful. What could grandfather want now? ‘I’ll go and meet him in the garden,’ I started for the door then turned back to Greg. ‘Are you coming?’
His cheeks warmed. ‘Give me a minute,’ he said from behind the desk, making me smirk.
‘I’ll meet you out there.’ I walked into the cool night air. As expected, my vampyric grandfather was lurking in the darkness. What I didn’t expect was the rush of love, affection and sheer adoration that swamped me at the sight of him.
Nina’s breaking of the memory wipe had given me a tonne of new memories and emotions that I had yet to process consciously because I had immediately gone to my coronation bloodbath. There had been no time to think about the memories that had been given back to me, to remember my mum’s smile and my dad’s laughter, to remember Shadow Grandfather, as my mum had called Alessandro, or Grandy Sandy as I’d called him.
I was crossing the distance before I knew I was moving. ‘Grandy Sandy!’ I said as I flew into his arms. Surprise written all over his face, he caught me and wrapped his arms around me. He smelled exactly like he’d done when I was a child and his scent unlocked something in me. Suddenly I was sobbing my heart out into the poor vampyr’s arms as my childhood memories of love overwhelmed me.
Granddad Sandy had visited me often and he’d always brought Victoria sponge cake. He had cooed over my scribbled artwork and my half-formed letters whilst I jabbered at him in an incomprehensible mix of barely understandable English and Italian. This man had saved my life; even more, he had loved me for every minute of it.
‘What did you do?’ Greg growled at Alessandro as he joined us.
I gave a half-laugh, half-sob as I wiped my face. ‘He didn’t do anything,’ I managed. I took a shuddering breath. ‘Sorry, Grandy Sandy. It all just hit me a bit.’
He studied me. ‘You had the clearing broken.’
‘The seat of power did it,’ I explained.
‘Ah.’
‘My adoptive mum’s name is Sandy,’ I pointed out.
He nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘You picked her because of your shared name?’
He let out a small breath. ‘I wanted you to have a Sandy in your life, even if it wasn’t me. Plus, she was perfect – caring and kind, yet no nonsense and strong. I saw how she treated her son – I watched her and Dennis before I placed you with them. It wasn’t an easy decision, I promise you that. I agonised over whether to keep you or not … but your jaunt into the past had already told me it wasn’t to be.’
My heart ached but I was done with tears so I made a show of looking around. ‘Where’s my Victoria sponge cake, huh?’
A small smile graced his lips. ‘Next time, I promise.’ His smile faded. ‘Though alas, I am here to tell you that there may not be a next time.’
‘Why? What’s happened?’ I demanded.
‘I’ve been challenged to a duel. Sadly, I am a dead man walking.’
He’s always a dead man walking, Esme muttered. He’s a vampyr.
I ignored her sassy input. ‘Well, don’t go to it,’ I said. The solution was obvious.
He smiled again. ‘That isn’t an option, darling girl. My honour is all I have left.’
