AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I categorically refused to leave my home, but I relented and agreed that I won’t go outside at Homewood except for the full moon runs.
And I agreed to let Kirsten flash me anywhere I need to go, so I can’t be absconded with while traveling. When I need to get out of the house due to cabin fever, she’ll flash us somewhere I don’t normally go.
The argument was considerable, leading up to our agreement, though. Nathan, Kirsten, Ryan, and Marco all wanted to tuck me away somewhere safe, and to secrete my wolves to me there for our full moon runs.
So I asked myself two questions — what would Randall have done if some uber-powerful female vampire had set her sights on making him her pet, and what would Randall have done if I’d been his Beta when Leonardo set his sights on me?
The answer to the first question was that he’d have done everything possible to keep himself safe while not running away, and the answer to the second was that he’d have put me in a hole somewhere while he hunted down the vampire going after his Beta.
So I found an answer between the two — I’d stay inside the house at Homewood while making it my goal in life to find this vampire and come up with a plan to either thwart him permanently or kill him. But the full moon run wasn’t negotiable. My people could not see me running scared from anyone.
Hours later, when I was finally alone with my vampire, he proceeded to show me just how much he loved me and worried about me, but all I could think of, when I had enough brainpower to think, was that Leonardo had known Marco and I hadn’t taken the final steps towards binding us to each other.
And so, when Marco had wrung a half-dozen orgasms from me and I lay gasping for air while he lounged beside me, sated on my blood and lust, he noted, “I didn’t have your undivided attention tonight. Want to talk about it?”
“You explained the final binding, the one that will make sure I don’t age anymore, and will bind us together permanently, but you’ve never suggested it was as important as Leonardo seemed to think.”
“You are much too independent for me to push you into anything. I love and adore you as you are.”
I picked up on more he wanted to say, and I gave him a few moments to continue. When he didn’t, I told him. “There’s more. Say it, please.” That final word was important, because my vampire doesn’t respond well to anything he perceives as a direct order.
“It weakens us, as a unit, but until you’re ready to unite us in every way, it’ll do more harm than good. The truth is, the binding was created for the vampire’s power base, and the only positive it gives you is the prospect of a long life, and easier access to my power, should I wish to grant it, which I of course will, but you have to know I can hold it back, and under some circumstances, I may be forced to do so.”
He stroked the backs of his fingers down my cheek and gave me a light peck on the lips. “It’s designed to put the power balance in my favor, and I’ll do everything possible to even that out if that’s the way it works out. Honestly? With Kirsten’s energy in the mix? I don’t think we know for certain how it will work. With Etta and her slayer, it made them a closer unit without giving Etta any further power over him. Augustus feels it’s possible Blaze is over him at times, while he’s stronger at times.”
I considered it as analytically as possible, shutting my emotions down so I could see it from all angles. “The binding was designed for you to bind a shapeshifter or human. It wasn’t designed for a slayer, nor was it designed for a shapeshifter bound to the Harlequin. It might put you in charge of even more of our combined power, or it might balance it out more?”
“Leonardo was correct — it matters a great deal that we haven’t taken that step. My claim to you isn’t as strong, per the vampire rules of engagement. However, I will not push you towards it. We won’t do it until you’re absolutely ready for whatever it does to our partnership. I want it to be the two of us over my vampires and your wolves, but not until you’re ready for it as well.”
“Nathan said something that got me thinking — about the grizzly, shark, and eagle having such a strong Power of Three, supposedly because they represented earth, water, and air. Three of the four earth elements.”
* * * *
Marco
I was treading carefully with this conversation, finding a balance between telling her how important the final binding was, and how much I wanted to do it, while also being clear we shouldn’t do it until she was ready — but no pressure.
It seemed she was changing the subject, talking about Nathan’s remark, but I figured my wolf was just pausing the conversation to talk about something else important, while her wolf thought over the prospect of permanently joining to me.
“And you’re wondering if we can figure out how to do this?” Funny, since I’d done the same, trying to figure out how to bring water into our union, but I waited to hear what she’d come up with.
“You and Etta can fly, so you’re both air. Kirsten can easily be called fire. I believe Nathan and I are earth. That’s three elements. We only need water, and we’ll have all four.”
“Lauren’s axolotl tattoo likely makes her water. Hell, Lauren is earth, water, and air all by herself.”
Cora shook her head. “No. We can’t bring her into this.”
She was right, of course, and I went through my head, considering who else we might recruit.
It’d been made clear the dolphin shifter slave could only be rented on the premises, and I wasn’t aware of another I might be able to control. That left us with swans, ducks, and other waterfowl. Aaron Drake would never allow us to bring his wife into it, but he’s the king of the Swans, so he’s both fire and water.
“Agreed,” I told her. “However, if someone isn’t already close to us, I’m not certain it will work. The only other person I can think of already in your social circle is Aaron Drake, since he has a swan form now.”
She gave a terse nod, and I knew she’d talk to Nathan about bringing Aaron in.
And now for the conversation we absolutely needed to have sooner rather than later, and I’d put it off as long as possible.
“I intend to bring everyone in my coterie capable of fighting to Homewood on the full moon, to guard you and your wolves when you run. We’ll also bring a large part of our eagles ahead of time, so they can train with your security staff.”
