Xanthe bobs her head and leaves him alone. There is a knock at the door that draws his attention away from his brooding. Aster sticks his head around and Xane beckons him in. “Sir, we do need to decide what to do about the Dark Fae that the Vampires are using.”
“I know,” Xane says and sighs. He has been sitting on the information of the whereabouts of the Vampires’ blood whores for months. The possibilities are endless, and he cannot decide on what to do about them. He really should tell Liv about them. He knows she is curious and slightly appalled since her own Dark nature came about that they are used to create the spell that allows them to walk in the sun, but she hasn’t exactly been in much of a position to do anything about it for a while. In fact, knowing her as he does, she has probably forgotten about it as something to think about later. Truly intelligent, but a completely self-absorbed, vain, wayward, arrogant creature. All things that are usually a turn-off for him in a woman, except the smart part. He likes that. But with her he overlooks it all; he is completely in love with her. He wishes that he wasn’t, it would make everything so much easier. If he didn’t care about her, he would force her down here and make her do things his way. That is his way. He doesn’t pander to anyone, especially little blonde women that can bewitch him with a single glance in his direction. Damn her. He should just drag her here and do it anyway.
“Sir?” Aster interrupts his thoughts.
“I’ll go to the Queen about it later,” he decides. Perhaps if he gives her something she wants, she will be grateful and show him some appreciation. Right now, he has other plans. He will trust his mother to come up with the goods when the time is right, but he needs a contingency plan and it has finally occurred to him. He is going to stop being a jackass when it comes to her and he is going to do this his way whether she likes it or not. He will stay in power and she will help him do it, whether she is a willing accomplice or not is up to her. He tells Aster of his plans and he goes off to set them in motion. It will take some time, but he can wait. Now that he has action, it se
ttles him.
He leaves the Castle and Astraports to the house that was built for Liv for when she finally moves here. She was supposed to be here already. Yet another delay due to Remiel and his obsession for being alive again. If he could get into the Dragon Realms on his own, he would go there and kick his ass for ruining everything. He shouldn’t have listened to him all those months ago. He had shown Xane what was going to happen to Liv in the Fae Kingdoms and the consequences of that. He hated to let it happen. He doesn’t want any pain to come to her, another weakness that he loathes, but he let it happen. He let her get assaulted by the Light King and waited for her Power boost, which came as expected. Remiel had told him if he did this then she would become the true Queen, the Dragon ruler and the Vampire would rest.
And it did.
Only it rested with Cole as she still chose him. He went to her in Paris, he bided his time. He knew she would reject him if made a move on her too soon after the ‘assault.’ He uses this word to ease his guilt. If he called it “rape” he would hang himself for allowing that to happen to her. Assault, he can live with that. He had watched her as he waited. He did her bidding, was attentive and loving—all actions that are unnatural to him, but he waited and watched. He knew she was ready about a month after her attack.
He saw the change go over her. She was no longer clinging to Cole like a vine. She let go slightly and he pounced. He seduced her on a warm Paris night with wine, candles, and the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop. It couldn’t have been more perfect if he tried. He had made love to her like they had never done before. They usually end up in a quick fuck, unable to stop themselves, but this was different.
She knew it and he knew it.
He told her he loved her and needed her. That he wanted to be with her always and couldn’t live without her. She said it all back. He saw it all in her eyes, she meant every word, she was going to come to him, to be his. The Dragon chose him in that moment, just like Remiel said She would and then bam, just like that the Vampire came out of her slumber and shot everything to Hell and back.
She kissed him and told him she meant what she said, but they had to keep their relationship a secret. She would come to him when she could and told him of her decision to move to the Underworld. “It’ll be easier then,” she’d said. And then she had got up, got dressed, and headed out of the door, making a date with Lincoln as she did so. He had torn that hotel room apart with his bare hands.
Never had he felt the rage he had that night as he had everything he needed and then it had been ripped out of his hands so quickly by that fucking Vampire in her. He hopes his mother can find a way to get rid of it. If she is no longer a Vampire, she will be his. There is no doubt about it in his mind now as he stands in what will be her bedroom and looks around.
No Vampire means no sire and no charges. No Vampire means Demon and Dragon. It begs the question of what to do about Lincoln. He can accept him, if he must. It is a tie tricky to get rid of, as is the Fae one. But after he shared his concerns with his mother about Sebastian, she reassured him that over Her dead body would Tiamat allow Liv to be anywhere near him. He is quite confident of that. He does an inspection of the whole house. It is very similar to the house she has in England. She said she wanted to keep the design. This poolroom is fireproof and shatterproof, though. He insisted before she told him to stop being such a control freak. He must admit that he was very impressed with her display of temper and Power that day. A true Queen indeed. How Cade managed not to be barbecued is a mystery and a damn shame. He is a nuisance he could do without. Especially with him being so stubborn about it. It just makes Liv want to help him even more.
His senses suddenly go on alert and he feels her wanting him.
She wonders how he turns up when she says his name, but it is so much more than him knowing when anybody says his name. It is like a tug on his veins whenever she thinks of him. It isn’t reciprocated and for that he is grateful. If she knew every time he thought or spoke of her she would be appalled by his obsession. He knows it is an obsession. It bothers him because it is a weakness. One that he hopes will go away once she is where she belongs, with him once and for all. He knows he should resist going to her, he is like a little lap dog, but a horde of rampaging Demons couldn’t stop him and he Astraports straight to her.
She jumps a mile as she sees him, placing her hand over her racing heart. He smiles at her and she smiles back and steps into his arms. They are alone in her library. He hopes it stays that way. He feels her tense self relax as he embraces her and it both pleases and enrages him. If he has such an effect on her, why does she continue to deny him? Stubborn little… argh! He can’t even think of a word for her.
“Hi,” she says and tilts her head up for a kiss.
“Hi,” he replies and drops his mouth to hers. He takes full advantage as they are alone and gives her a deep and passionate kiss that she responds to with vigor. He pulls back and peers down at her. Something has changed. “You feel better?” he asks.
“Yes,” she says. “Thank the gods.” She takes his hand and looks up at him in a silent request.
He mentally smirks as she wants to suck on his energy, and he won’t say no. He will never say no to that request. It’s like nothing he has ever felt before. Complete and utter eroticism mixed with a sensuality that makes it hers. He has done energy sucking with other beings before and it never, ever felt like this. She holds his hands up, but he shakes his head. “If we do this, we do this properly,” he says.
She grins at him and pulls his head down to hers. She places her lips against his and he wants to drag her to the floor and spend the rest of the afternoon down there with her. Now, part of him hopes that they get interrupted. He would love it if one of her husband’s came in and saw them doing this. She pulls on his energy, sucking it straight from his very essence into her mouth as they share this kiss.
“Better?” he asks as she finally pulls away but doesn’t let go of him.
She nods but doesn’t say anything.
“So, is that all you wanted me for?” he asks with a raised eyebrow at her. He kind of resents being used just for that but pushes it away because it is her.
“No,” she says, aghast. “Xane, I would never…”
“I know,” he rushes to reassure her that he meant no harm. God, grow a pair, man, he yells at himself. She is a grown woman, older than him for chrissakes and she can take care of her own feelings.
“I just wanted to see you, that’s all,” she says. “I’ve missed you and I am set to go away again for a couple of days.”
“Oh?” he asks, feigning ignorance.
“Uh, yeah. I’m going to stay with my mother for a couple of days, for something,” she replies vaguely.