[Vance’s POV]I follow quietly as Tabitha makes her way toward the small reception desk in the middle of the ICU. When she arrives, she waits for the woman sitting there to acknowledge her.“Which patient?” She asks calmly.From the woman’s demeanor, it is clear that she is more than used to dealing with anxious family members and mourning ones. There is a lack of emotion on her face, and when Tabitha gives Anthony’s name, she doesn’t even bat an eye before she is nodding toward a small waiting room at the end of the hall.For a moment, Tabitha doesn’t move as she looks from the woman to the rooms around us and back. I’m sure that she is going to try to argue about just seeing Anthony, and before she can do that, I’m grabbing her and leading her away.“What are you doing?” She hisses once we take a seat. “What about Anthony?”“I’m sure the doctor will give us more information on his condition.”Something in me knew that whatever we heard, we weren’t going to like it, but I didn’t want
[Vance’s POV]Tabitha doesn’t speak as I drive us to the destination that she gave me, and when we arrive, the first signs of day are beginning to peek through the trees. At this point, I could only hope that this ice-fae bastard would be willing to help me.Hopping out first, I quickly make my way up the yard and onto the porch, then begin to pound on the door.For a moment, I don’t hear anything from within and wonder if he is even home, but when the sound of locks being undone reaches me, I know that he is.Stepping back, I wait as he slowly pulls the door open and then takes me in with both a look of confusion and recognition.“You,” he hisses, his eyes flashing with anger. “Why the fuck are you here?”“Because…” I begin and then wince as I realize the word help is about to leave my lips. “She…” I continue, motioning toward Tabitha, who is still in the car. “She needs you.”Growing quiet, I wait as Atticus examines Tabitha and then turns his gaze back to me, but when his lips twit
[Tabitha’s POV]I curl into Vance while willing away the pain that continues to radiate up my arm and throughout my entire body despite my no longer being in the sun. How was it possible that everything had turned to shit in the span of forty-eight hours?Anthony was gone, and he was never coming back. Atticus didn’t remember me, or at least, he was pretending to not know me. That meant that I had absolutely no one.As this thought hits me, I look up at Vance’s face and find that he is deep in thought while he stares at the car that we came in. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like it.“We need to get somewhere safe,” he murmurs, pulling me closer against him.“But how?” I whisper.If we were to step off the porch, then we would be in the path of the rays of sun that were beginning to pierce through the limbs above. But we also couldn’t stay on Atticus’ property; it was only a matter of time before he came after us.“Hang on tight,” Vance annou
[Vance’s POV]I pull Tabitha close to my body while keeping a hand over her mouth. As she makes noises of distress, we begin to get looks.“What?” I demand, narrowing my gaze.Dammit, why in the hell was I even doing all this for this frustrating woman? Oh, right, because as of now, the only fucking people we had were one another, despite my years of loyalty to my father and my clan. However, I was beginning to question them just when I became an outsider to them.As this thought hits, images of Irene begin to appear in my head. Her smiling lips and her sparkling eyes leave me fixated, and when she reaches out a hand, I want nothing more than to take it.Right. It was when I lost her that all this started. Because the ones that I trusted and followed unconditionally took her away from me due to my feelings for her.Sighing, I shake off the pain that is beginning to radiate through me and watch until the elevator doors slide open on our floor. Stepping out, I meet the gazes of all that
[Vance’s POV]“Fuck,” I hiss as Tabitha’s head bobs back and forth, taking my dick deep into her throat and then almost releasing it. “That’s it.”Dammit. Why in the hell was I even going along with this when I knew that we had more important matters to attend to? And why was she like this when she lost someone she deeply cared for and was rejected by another?It’s because she was hurt so deeply that she is looking for an escape. The small voice in the back of my head says.Right. She was looking for an escape, the same way I looked for an escape back then, but my choice was women and booze.Understanding that maybe this was exactly what she needed to escape the things that were haunting her, I hold her head in place and begin to thrust until I feel myself growing close to cumming.Pulling out, I clamp a hand around my shaft and begin to pump while Tabitha sits obediently with her mouth open, ready to take every last fucking drop I release.Hissing, I begin to erupt, covering her face
[Tabitha’s POV]I close my eyes, and the first thing I see is my brother’s blank stare as he bleeds out on the kitchen floor. The second is the destroyed kitchen and all the bastards that stand around laughing while I helplessly watch the last person I had die in front of me.After that, I managed to escape thanks to the church showing, but even then, I didn’t truly feel safe. For so many nights, I woke up screaming because those blood suckers appeared in my dreams, taunting me and promising that I would be next.I was mute and numb, taking life one day at a time, and then Anthony approached me. He was the only one brave enough to speak to the weird girl, who kept to herself and never spoke or smiled.He was my light back then, and up until the day he betrayed me. But I was learning more and more that nothing good can stay, and to believe that happiness could last forever was a bunch of bullshit. Opening my eyes, I feel my heart shatter into a million pieces again as Anthony’s pale f
[Tabitha’s POV]I wait for Vance to head out of the room before grabbing my phone from the bedside table so I can begin scrolling through the numbers that are saved in it until I come across the one that I’m looking for. It had been so many years since I last talked to them, and I found that I was actually nervous.Swallowing, I click dial before I can chicken out and then wait as the phone rings.“Hello?”For a moment, I don’t speak as Priest Thompson’s voice washes over me. Hearing it now was bringing me back to that time and place.Closing my eyes, I let images of the day I decided to leave with Anthony appear before I compose myself again.“It’s me,” I say slowly, knowing that I can’t just sit here and not speak. “Tabitha.”“Tabitha?” Priest Thompson repeats. “Why are you calling? I thought you decided you wanted nothing to do with…”“Anthony,” I hiss before he can start an argument. “He’s dead.”Growing quiet, I wait as Priest Thompson processes my words, and when I hear what sou
[Allister’s POV]I wake up feeling like I was hit by a Mac truck. Frowning, I sit up and slowly look around my room before settling on Vanessa and Marie, who are asleep on either side of me."Fuck!" I growl, rubbing my temples as my head pounds. “What the hell?”Frowning, I try to think of what exactly could have happened to leave me feeling like this, but come up short. The last thing I remembered was fucking Tabitha during the blood moon and then the awakening ceremony, but after that, everything was blurry.What happened after that? Did Tabitha awaken, and if she did, where the fuck was she? Was she with my father since he was her lover in the past, or was she somewhere claiming her place?Sitting up, I continue to try to remember everything, but I continue to come up short and realize that the only way to truly know what happened was to find my father.Grimacing, I begin to untangle myself from the two women who are clinging to me and then get up while they curl into each other.A
[Tabitha’s POV]“Then we have tonight.”If you asked me if this was the outcome I was expecting after taking down Titus and ending one threat, I would say no. I wasn’t an overflowing fucking optimist, but to know that in the end, the ones who stood beside me through this time would disappear one by one was a punch to the gut.Atticus would be leaving to go to the unseelie court, Vance would need time to calm his clan and gain control, and Anthony was gone and would never be back.“I think the lady wants you,” JD chuckles, breaking the silence that had fallen around us. “Why are you just standing there?”“Shut up,” Atticus growls, reaching out and grabbing me.It doesn’t take long for us to arrive back at Atticus’ home, and the minute we step in the door, my clothes are being ripped off along with his. Once they’re out of the way, Atticus is dropping to his knees and burying his face in my folds.“Atticus,” I gasp, spreading my legs wider. “The door.”“Fuck the door,” he growls, contin
[Atticus’ POV]“His help doesn’t come easy.”The words leave my lips as I take Tabitha in, waiting to see if her resolve will quake. Maybe this was the reason that I fell for her, or maybe it was the undeniable draw that I felt. Whatever it was I knew, with or without my memories, I would choose her again and again because of the strength she radiated.“I don’t care,” she says, beginning to move. “And if you’re just going to stand here and argue, you can..."“No,” I sigh, hoisting Titus as he begins to slip. “Let’s go.”I begin to move, heading into JD’s domain, and then lead the way to his room, where he should be waiting. When we arrive, the door swings open, and a broad smile rests on his face.“Did you succeed?” He asks, eyeing the wrapped-up lump on my shoulder. “Or did you bring me another gift?"“No,” I chuckle, throwing Titus on the ground. “It’s what you want.”“But before that,” Tabitha adds, making her presence known. “There are some things that we would like to ask him.”“
[Tabitha’s POV]I wait until Atticus disappears out of the room and the sound of his steps grows distant before turning my gaze to Vance, who is watching me curiously. I was sure that he was curious why I was still standing here. I wanted to speak with him alone. And probably, what the hell was I even doing?“Promise me,” I begin, deciding there was no point in beating around the bush. “That you won’t disappear.”I knew I was asking a lot, and I wouldn’t blame him for denying my request. Technically, it was because of my existence that his brother and father are now gone. And that his clan was undergoing something so serious. But I didn’t want to lose the one solid thing I had beside me.“I know I'm asking a lot and that you don’t owe me, but..."“Shut up.”Leaning forward, Vance grabs my chin and then presses his lips against mine. Immediately, the world and all the fucking problems we are facing disappear, and all I can feel is him. Is it because of his mark on me? Because of everyt
[Tabitha’s POV]I stand up and take in the room in front of me. Atticus and Vance are both here, staring at me as if they’re looking at a ghost, and laying on the ground is Titus, and someone clearly beat the shit out of him.“Good job,” I say slowly, nodding toward the bastard on the ground. “I’m glad the two of you managed to take care of him.”It was probably ridiculous to say this after dying and then coming back, but the awkwardness was beginning to get to me.“How?” Vance rasps, moving forward.Reaching out, he attempts to touch me, but lets out a hiss when his fingers touch the sunlight and begin to burn.“Dammit,” he growls.“Here,” I say, climbing through the hole that was made in my cage while I was out of it. When I’m out of the sunlight and standing in front of Vance, I grab his wrist and bring his hand to my face so that he can feel it. “Better?”Growing quiet, I wait as he processes what is happening, and when understanding finally seems to dawn in him, he is reaching ou
[Tabitha’s POV]I feel like I’m floating. In the blissful darkness that surrounds me, I’m weightless. My body drifts in and out of what I can only assume is oblivion. Did this mean that I died? If I did, I could only hope by this point that Vance and Atticus would be able to defeat Titus, and if not... Well, there was nothing I could do at this point.Letting out a sigh, I try to drift away again so that the worry I’m beginning to feel doesn’t continue to haunt me. However, with each passing minute, I can feel my consciousness becoming clearer and clearer until I can’t remain oblivious, and it’s frustrating.Slowly, I begin to open my eyes, but I have to close them again as dazzling light attacks them, and when I open them again, I have to squint.Frowning, I begin to take in the area around me, trying to determine exactly what was happening and where I was. Was this the afterlife? But how could it be? As a sinner and a member of the undead, wouldn’t hell be the place to which I belon
[Vance’s POV]Shouts and snarls erupt around me as I burst into the mansion ahead and begin to look around. Why the fuck would Tabitha be stupid enough to go in alone when she knew that my father was most likely waiting for her?As this thought hits, two of my father’s men rush toward me. Growling, I lift my hands and connect with them. Once I’ve got control, I liff and throw them into the next line of men that are making their way toward me.Behind me, I can hear Atticus, and when icy bullets begin to erupt around me, I extend my senses until I feel Tabitha.“I’m heading up!” I announce, taking in the scene around me. “Can you handle it here?”“Yeah,” Atticus puffs, switching out the weaponry on his arms for something stronger. “Just don’t forget; I need that heart.”Nodding, I begin to move, only stopping long enough to dodge a sneak attack.“Nice try,” I grin, kicking out and sending the man crashing into the wall and then moving forward so that I can grab his head and twist until
[Tabitha’s POV]I keep my gaze fixed on the hole where the slowly-lightening sky can be seen. I had maybe twenty minutes at most before the sun was high enough to shine down on me. Shit, what the hell was I going to do?“Don’t look so afraid, my pet,” Titus murmurs. “This was always your fate from the moment you came into existence.”“Wouldn’t that mean it was the same fate for you?” I ask."No, because I wasn’t born a monster, I was turned, and in finally getting rid of you, my true love will forgive me and bring me and my people out of the shadows.”“Your true love?” I repeat as I feel my consciousness being tugged on.Gasping, I feel my eyes roll into the back of my head as images of a beautiful field with white flowers swaying in the breeze appear. Standing in the field are Titus and a woman with flowing blonde hair and bright golden eyes. She wears a white gown that is almost transparent, allowing the perfect view of her body beneath.Instantly, I feel a sense of familiarity and
[Tabitha’s POV]I can feel Vance’s hesitation as he tries to make sense of my plan. I knew that it was a suicide mission, but to see Allister suffering so fucking much because of his own father, I couldn’t stop the burning desire I felt to kill Titus.“You don’t have to join us,” Atticus offers, breaking the silence that was settling around us. “We don’t need you anyway.”“Do you really think you stand a chance against them?” Vance counters.“I wager I have a good chance at surviving,” Atticus chuckles. “I would just have to breakout the heavy ammo.”As he speaks, ice starts to wrap around his muscular arms and form into what looks like machine guns. Damn, he really was capable, wasn’t he? With his ice magic, Vance’s blood magic, and my combat skills, I was sure that we would be okay.“Fine,” Vance huffs. “But remember, my father is mine.”“I need his heart,” Atticus counters. "Therefore, I should be..."“He’s mine,” Vance repeats more firmly. “I’ll give you his fucking heart before i
[Vance’s POV]My gaze stays fixed on Tabitha as she stares in the direction that ice fae bastard disappeared in. As much as I tried to tell myself that I didn’t give two shits if they had something, seeing her so fucking hurt over his leaving left a bad taste in my mouth.“Are you just going to sit there?” I ask, unable to continue to watch her misery. “Don’t you think we should get out of here too before someone finds this?"As I speak, I motion to the pile of ice, flesh, and bone that covers the floor. It was only a matter of time before someone realized that August’s remains were up here, and I didn’t want to be present when that happened.The fae stuck together through most things, and to kill one of their own would make you all of their enemy. I couldn’t wait to see how things would work out for Atticus due to what he did, but for now, the repercussions would have to wait.“No,” Tabitha says softly, finally snapping out of her daze. “I’m not.”“Then let’s go.” I huff, pulling up