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I sighed. “I’m not marrying you, Ty. No matter what Ornessa says in there, I’m not being forced into this.”
He smiled arrogantly. “You’ll change your mind.”
I rolled my eyes as we entered the council’s building. Ty knocked on the door to Ornessa’s office.
Ornessa opened the door and greeted him warmly. “Thylus, thank you for being so prompt.”
Ty smiled. “Anything for my favorite elder.” He walked into the room and glared when he spotted Vance. “Why does the mongrel have to be here?”
Ornessa swatted him on the arm. “Mind your manners, young man. My godson is welcome anywhere within this village.” Godson?
Vance pulled me off to the side and whispered, “You need to watch what you say in here. Above all else, this woman is your family and only wants what’s in your best interest. Remember that.” Well, that was cryptic, I thought.
Ornessa assessed me. “Vance tells me you’re opposed to marrying Thylus.”
I stiffened. “Of course I am. The thought of an arranged marriage is ludicrous.”
“Please do not insult our ways,” Ornessa requested. “It is uncommon, yes, but not unheard of under the circumstances. It was foretold this day would come.”
“Oh yeah?” I challenged. “Well, who was the genius that said that? Because obviously they were wrong.”
“Your mother!” she exclaimed.
I gasped. “No, she would never do that to me.”
“She didn’t do anything to you,” Ornessa argued. “You weren’t even born. Neither was Thylus for that matter. She had a vision when she was young. I only allowed her to follow Vance onto Earth when she promised me that she would return to our land when she became with child. I thought it would be good for her to see other cultures…to explore. I had assumed the car accident that took her from us came first. Little did I know, she had orchestrated a web of deceit.”
“She had her reasons,” I grumbled.
“I’m sure she did,” Ornessa agreed, “but for the life of me, I can’t begin to imagine what those might be.”
“Well, I know why she did it! She made Irina promise to raise me in Vegas. She had a vision; she knew that’s where I would meet the love of my life.”
“Whoa…what?” Vance asked. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”
I rolled my eyes. “Because she didn’t give a name. She didn’t say who my soul mate was, only where I’d find him. I didn’t want you reading into it.”
Vance grabbed my hand. “Karli, she said something similar to me. I told you that. The last time she and I spoke. She saw you as the key to my future happiness.”
“No, she didn’t,” I argued. “She didn’t mention me by name, which is exactly why I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to go into all that fate garbage when we both know it’s crap, especially after what happened. Fate doesn’t exist.”
“Yes, it does!” he shouted.
“Enough!” Ornessa commanded. “Your bickering is getting us nowhere!”
Vance shrugged. “It’s what we do. We fight, and then we make up. Preferably naked.”
“You will not make such implications about my betrothed again!” Ty bellowed.
“Gah!” I screamed. “Quit talking about s-e-x with my grandmother in the room!”
Exasperated, Vance looked at Ty. “She’s not your betrothed, buddy. Get over it.” He looked at me. “As for you, I don’t give a flying fuck who’s in the room. I’ll mark my territory any way I see fit.”
“Mark your territory?” I shrieked. “Why don’t you just hit me over the head with a club?”
“Don’t give me any ideas,” Vance muttered.
“Stop being so infantile!” Ornessa slammed her hand on the desk. “All of you!” She released a breath and turned towards me. “Is this why you took the vampire into your bed? Because you thought he was your soul mate?”
