Blood Oath (#8, the Mystic Wolves) Page 16

  It was always entertaining watching a powerful Alpha squirm in his seat. I’d seen Mason react the same way whenever Darcy decided to ruffle his fur and tease him. Sullivan was no different.

  She appeared to take a deep breath. “You must visit with her again soon. You are to introduce her to . . .” As if right on cue, she glanced at me now. “I believe the two of you meeting was meant to be. It seems Sullivan has an acquaintance that will help you with your business, Devlin.”

  It was then my new friend heaved a heavy sigh. “Are you sure? This woman, she’s not . . . conventional.” Sullivan looked panic stricken all of a sudden, as if the idea of me meeting his lady friend was the worst possible idea in the world.

  It was definitely dangerous. I knew who Lady Hannah referred to and, if it weren’t crucial to the path I walked, I’d emphatically agree with him. The woman scared the hell out of me and merely being in her presence was fraught with risks.

  But . . . it had to happen. There was no avoiding it.

  “May I speak frankly?” Lady Hannah intervened, finally regaining her composure. She sat up straighter and released his hand. He nodded. “While we’re not at liberty to share the details, Devlin needs to find someone who can help him . . . supernaturally.”

  Sullivan swung his attention over to me sharply. “Is this the business you talked about last night?”

  I nodded.

  “And you think I might be able to help you . . . by introducing you to . . .” He gulped.

  “Devlin must meet Queen Iriana.”

  Sullivan looked as though a falling boulder or twenty had struck him. His current coloring rivaled the paleness of Lady Hannah’s the evening before. “Surely not.”

  “I’m afraid so,” I answered.

  “I know I offered to help, Devlin, and I promise you . . . if you were asking anything other than this, I would open my home to you with the invitation to take whatever you need. But this . . . are you sure?” He now stared at Lady Hannah, his countenance revealing his inner thoughts. He was hoping this was some strange joke.

  “How could she possibly help you? Why would you even suggest it, Lady Keirston?” Sullivan had resorted to using her formal name. “And Devlin, do you understand who she is?” The poor guy had so many questions that couldn’t be completely answered.

  “He does, and I do. It’s part of his . . . destiny.”

  Sullivan sat back in his seat, rubbing his hand across his face as though he was trying to wake from a bad dream. “How did you know about her? I thought I was being discrete.”

  Sullivan had been secretly having an affair with the Fae Queen for years. There was a gateway on Pack property into the Fae’s realm where he would come and go with ease. The country was rife with tales about humans interacting with the Fair Folk.

  “It is of little consequence. However, it is imperative Devlin meets the Fae Queen. Will you aid Devlin and agree to make the introduction?” She posed the question again. I expected him to argue a little before conceding, but his immense respect for her showed in his quiet reflection.

  He did press me for more information, though. “Can you not tell me what business you have with her? Why her?”

  “Because she holds the answers I need,” I replied, knowing I’d basically just brushed him off. There was no reason for him to trust me. It was one thing to invite me into his home as a guest, and quite another to bring me into a more intimate part of his life . . . especially with no other reasoning that Lady Hannah saw it in his palm.

  Klothos, I murmured, hoping she could hear my thoughts. I don’t know why this is happening differently, only that it will still lead me to the same place.

  Sullivan appeared to measure my words carefully. “Do you promise this won’t bring danger to my door . . . to those who reside with me?”

  Of all the questions to ask, this was one that I knew I had to reply honestly. But how could I do that when I knew what the future brought? Of what my friendship with him would cost?

  It was my turn to pause momentarily while I struggled to find the right way to respond.

  Should I answer as the Devlin who had no foreknowledge or the Devlin who’s experienced it all already?

  I imagined the ticking of a clock—impatiently noting the passing of each quiet second.

  I didn’t want to lie but how could I possibly share the truth?

  “My visit won’t bring any immediate danger to your doorstep,” I promised, praying that he wouldn’t press it any further.

  “Then it’s settled. You’ll leave with me tomorrow for Kilgrave Manor. As soon as the opportunity arises, I’ll introduce you to Iriana.” All uncertainty was gone from Sullivan as he made the decision. That was one of his many traits I admired—his ability to commit once a difficult choice was made.

  Nerves fluttered in my stomach. I crept closer and closer to the dark moments the Fates demanded I relive.

  “This pleases me,” Lady Hannah exclaimed, a lightness returning to her tone. She’d fulfilled her duty to help me and, like an Olympic runner competing in a relay, she was ready to pass on the task to Sullivan. “I’ve enjoyed our time together, Devlin,” she continued, taking a small sip from her glass of port.

  “I thank you for it,” I replied. “Your advice and friendship has been extremely helpful.” There was extra meaning in my sentiments—most were hidden from Sullivan, but I knew she understood.

  “To Kilgrave Manor and meeting the Fae Queen, then,” Sullivan announced, standing to toast the new venture. The clink of our glasses solidified the new plans.

  “To completing business,” I added.

  And to surviving what was to come.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Fidgeting with the piece of amber in my hand, I stared out across the vast backyard at Kilgrave Manor. It had been a month already since I’d arrived with Sullivan and each day had passed with a painstaking slowness that chipped away at my patience.

  Sullivan was an incredible host—always finding ways to keep me entertained while we waited for a message from Queen Iriana. I’d forgotten that he couldn’t just summon her or show up in her realm unannounced. Each day passed filled with energetic walks throughout Waltham Forest—the vast woods bordering the Pack’s property. While he didn’t ever say as much, it was where he and his wolves ran and hunted. Rumors abounded that the Queen came with her royal companions to ride through the thick richness, but we hadn’t spotted them in the time I was here.

  I was growing restless. I mentally checked off the passing of another day, uncomfortable my approaching date in Bath loomed ever closer.

  Every few days a new letter from home arrived. It warmed my heart to hear how strong Lucinda was growing and how completely devoted everyone was to my small niece. Verity filled page after page with funny anecdotes that made me laugh out loud when I read them. There was so many details in her notes that it wasn’t hard to imagine I was there with them—that I hadn’t rushed off to pursue my promise to Elynor—that I was somehow normal.

  A response began forming in my mind with the dozens of questions I wanted to ask. Part of me wished we lived in a later time where I could’ve asked for a photo of Lucinda . . . hell, of my Verity . . . something to stave off the loneliness I felt being so far away from them.

  It didn’t matter knowing I was where I was meant to be. More than ever, I was committed to the path I was on. It didn’t, however, stop me from daydreaming about what might have been.

  My thumb rubbed over the piece of amber, tracing one of its edges. The past month had allowed me to think about things—about what was important. Most of all, I worried about how this task would change me.

  I’d lived through this all once before and I remembered the blood lust . . . the viciousness had taken root within me. It had taken time to rein in those tendencies and control the monster I’d become under my Maker’s tutelage. I’d fought hard, battled my demons, and come out the other side determined to never revisit those feelings again. I finally liked who I
was because I’d found the purpose I needed again—an anchor to keep me grounded and strong enough to resist temptation.

  But once this was over . . . once I’d faced my darkest moment . . . what then? Would I be returned to my future with my soul intact? Or would they dump me back into the present still consumed with the ravening thirst for blood and violence?

  It was that last one that churned up the fear in my chest. I was ashamed I’d become a monster. For most of my life as a vampire, only a handful of people knew how tumultuous my conversion was. In fact, only Zane truly knew and understood. He’d been my lifeline and the one to keep me tethered to my dwindling humanity. Everything I was, I owed to my friendship with him. Vivien had also stepped in to help, but she’d been spared many of the gorier details.

  Zane had been there—endured a lot of the same chaos. He would be there once I returned . . . I just couldn’t guarantee I would be the Devlin he knew.

  The last thing I ever wanted was to expose Darcy and the family I’d claimed to the dark beast I kept shackled inside. I didn’t want them to see me differently. I needed the image I’d cultivated of an honorable and strong man to remain intact. No one but me needed to know how truly flawed I was.

  Footsteps crunched behind me.

  “Am I interrupting you?” Sullivan asked, coming alongside me as I sat on one of his garden’s many benches.

  Folding up Verity’s letter, I slid it into my pocket. “No. I was just reading over news from home and got caught up in my own thoughts.” Still fidgeting, I played with the amber in my hands.

  “That’s a pretty piece,” my friend mentioned, and I held it out for him to take a closer look. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so pretty as this. Where did you get it?”

  We’d had many conversations over the past month and I’d opened up about many things. “Honestly? It appeared on the grave of my late sister, Elynor. One moment there was just dirt and flowers, and next I saw this stone. A friend of the family said that it was a gift from the Goddess Danu.” I cast him a side-glance to gauge his reaction. He still believed me human and I hadn’t revealed I knew he was a werewolf. We spoke a little about Lady Hannah and her gifts, as well as the existence of magic and witches. “Elynor was one of her followers, so I took it as a sign she’d returned to the Goddess she worshipped.”

  Sullivan bounced the stone in his hand, turning it about with his fingers. “I can see why you keep it with you all the time, then. Any gift from the Goddess deserves to be cherished.”

  “Do you believe the same?” I asked, relaxing back onto the bench, crossing my legs in front of me.

  “Do I believe in something other than the Christian God, you mean?” Sullivan did that a lot . . . answering a question with another, making discussions with him interesting, as our topics were often unexpected. They were never boring.

  I nodded.

  “I don’t know what I believe, to be honest. Do I think we’re alone in the universe as the result of some cosmic accident? No. I’ve seen too much and experienced enough to realize that there’s something out there. I do whatever makes me happy and makes sense to the world I’m a part of. I respect those who follow the dictates of their own hearts . . . whatever they might be. Do no harm is my philosophy. Act with integrity and maintain a generous heart. It’s served me well so far.” Sullivan grinned as he tugged at his pants. He then stretched out his own legs as he relaxed. “If the Goddess brings you comfort, Devlin, then I’m happy for you. From what I’ve heard, she doesn’t gift everyone with pieces of her holy stone. I would view it as an honor.”

  He handed the amber back and giving it one last look, I slid it back into my pocket with the letter. It did bring me peace whenever I held it and it made me feel closer to Elynor as well.

  “I feel the same,” I answered. “The more we talk, Sullivan, the more I see we’re cut from the same cloth. I’ve enjoyed our friendship.”

  “Enjoyed?” He snorted, elbowing me good-naturedly. “Why the past tense? Is there something you know that I don’t?”

  His off-the-cuff remark hit a little too close to home. I hadn’t intended to word it that way. “I meant so far,” I corrected myself. “I believe Fortune smiled down on us that night at the Ball. You can never have too many good friends.”

  “I agree! The more I see of the world, the more important it is to have a small circle of people you can trust implicitly. I couldn’t imagine going through life constantly worried about those who surround you—never knowing if they might betray you.”

  Sullivan’s voice revealed it was something he thought about often, and as the Pack’s Alpha, I understood the pressures he felt on a daily basis. He thought he was confessing human emotions to someone who had no concept of the life he lived. I wanted to speak up and confide in him—tell him every secret I kept hidden just to show we had a lot more in common than he knew.

  Instead, I kept quiet and listened to his musings. He thought it was because I was a receptive audience . . . someone he viewed as an ally. I was an ally—someone he could trust—but mostly, I was too ashamed to speak in case I inadvertently started blurting out truths.

  This task was turning me into a coward, slowly stripping me of the honor I’d been proud of. It caused me to walk that fine line between omitting things due to necessity and being flat out duplicitous.

  “You protect the ones you love at all costs,” I finally murmured, something to which I knew he agreed.

  “No matter the price,” Sullivan echoed. “It can be a burden at times, but I can’t see any other way to live. I love my family and those I watch over. Their happiness is mine. Their safety is a priority.”

  “You sound a lot like someone I know,” I added, thinking of Mason. “He’s married to my niece and he might be more protective of her than I am. I’ve witnessed quite a few of their arguments. The poor sod tries to dictate what she can do and she tells him exactly what she thinks about it.”

  Sullivan burst into laughter; his eyes wet with unshed tears. “Tell him I sympathize. I’ve had many of the same battles with those in my care, as well. It doesn’t matter that my reasoning is sound. There will be those who must learn everything the hard way.”

  “And all we can do is wait and watch, praying we can be there should they need us.” It had been agonizing at times watching Darcy grow up and not lock her in her room until I deemed her sane enough to be out and about. She’d been the typical defiant teenager, but for the most part, she hadn’t pushed her limits too much.

  Mason, on the other hand, would’ve liked nothing more than to keep his mate wrapped in cotton batting so no harm could ever befall her. Unfortunately, he never, ever saw his wish come true. They’d been constantly bombarded with threats from every direction. I doubted they’d had a moment’s peace in the time they’d been married. And now? Well, now I was stuck in my past, hoping to fulfill my obligation so they could continue defying the odds.

  “I was hoping to hear from Iriana last night so I could give you good news.” Sullivan changed the topic to something safer. “I lit the beacons in our special grove, but nothing. I’m sorry, Devlin. All we can do is continue to wait.”

  He’d tried to explain his relationship with the Fae Queen and how they communicated. Everything was left to Iriana’s whim, or whenever she called for him to join her. Their dalliance had been ongoing for the past two years, and he’d talked a little of his anxiety should he ever find his mate. Once he claimed his soul mate, he would be faithful to her and walk away from the Fae. Part of him worried about her reaction and the possible anger it might incite, but there was a louder voice that said, given time, she would eventually tire of him anyway.

  Perhaps that was why she was slow to answer. She’d found herself someone else to warm her bed.

  “I don’t mind waiting. You’ve got a beautiful home and I’ve loved getting to know those who live here.” In particular, I loved my daily visits from the little girl whose mother helped cook for everyone. Unlike other estat
es where the help were kept out of sight, Sullivan embraced everybody, regardless of their station. He considered his manor a small village and took an active role ensuring everyone was well cared for.

  He was being an Alpha—a good one.

  His heart belonged to each member of his Pack—just like Mason.

  “I hope you mean that because I received news today that we’ll be receiving guests within the next week. A neighboring . . . family has asked to visit. Friends from the North who have business in London like you did and asked to stay here while they travel back and forth.”

  “You sound a little hesitant,” I countered, noting the sentiment he hadn’t quite buried in his voice.

  “Not hesitant. Merely cautious.” Before I could ask him what he meant, he smiled and clapped a hand upon my shoulder. “All will be well. This will give you a chance to meet new people and maybe we’ll plan some kind of fun activity like a picnic or a hunt.”

  His last word told me exactly who his guests were. They were a neighboring Pack, which explained his hesitancy. It was one thing to hide his nature and those who resided with him, and quite another to somehow control others not under his authority. He couldn’t order them into secrecy—another reason why I wished I could simply level with him and explain exactly what I knew.

  These secrets would be the death of me!

  “I’m happy to help plan them if need be. I like feeling useful.”

  “I might take you up on your offer.” Sullivan dragged his fingers through his hair and slowly stood, stretching as he did. “I’ll also try again with Iriana.”

  We were back to the ever-present topic in my mind.

  “Thank you.” I stood as well, casting one last look at the forest bordering his estate. “I’d love another chance to explore Waltham.”

  And within the week, I would get my wish.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “They’re here!”

  An excited exclamation swept through the house at the news Sullivan’s guests had arrived, their carriages coming to a halt in the drive outside the manor.