Page 19 of Bane of Hate and Silver (Primordial Inheritance #1)

Living with the Dead

J ules pulled into Gabriel’s driveway. His front door opened before she could knock. Eileen stood in the entryway, smiling widely. “How is he?” Jules asked. Eileen was dressed in a long skirt, black hair braided down her back, and scarred face smiling.

“A bit grouchy to be honest,” Eileen replied, none too quietly. Eileen turned back into the house, her many bracelets clanking as her arm swung. Jules followed behind her.

“He’s fine,” Gabriel said from where he sat on the sofa, his nose in a history book he’d probably read a hundred times.

“He says that and yet he’s being grouchily defensive,” Eileen teased, carefree as always. “Come, get something to drink.”

Jules followed Eileen to the kitchen where she pulled a pre-poured glass from the refrigerator and handed it to Jules.

Jules felt an overwhelming need at the smell of it.

She took the glass and drank. The red liquid surged through her, soothing the thirst. She closed her eyes, soaking in the immediate calm.

All her troubles seemed so far away. Nothing mattered, just the ecstasy of the blood.

“Jules, what’s wrong? You seem a little off.” Gabriel’s voice came from just behind her left shoulder. His question pulled her out of her blood-induced trance. “What happened Saturday?”

“Not yet.” Jules heaved a breath of air, then another, and wiped her mouth after drinking the last drop.

Now, she felt ready for almost anything.

The pair returned to the living room. With a relaxed sigh, Jules dropped onto the green couch, curled her feet underneath her, and stretched her neck back and forth.

Eileen stayed in the kitchen, most likely cleaning the glass Jules had just emptied.

“Are you ready to tell me now?” Gabriel asked, a tinge of annoyance in his tone.

“Stop badgering her Gabriel,” Eileen commanded as she rejoined them, sitting on Gabriel’s lap in the armchair. “She can have secrets, you know.”

“Do you have secrets from me?” he asked, almost playful.

“Not at the moment, but who knows, maybe I will someday. And, if that day comes, I expect you to honor my right to have them.” Eileen’s voice was unwavering.

Gabriel hugged her waist tighter, seemingly appreciative of her opinion rather than angered by it.

Eileen was laid back, but also unwavering when it came to her boundaries and beliefs. Jules had always liked that about her.

Eileen and Gabriel were born a century apart. They shared no cultural similarities, the people of Eileen’s birth being native to this land. And yet, the idea that a woman would speak to her husband that way had come directly from her matriarchal tribe.

Jules was glad Gabriel had adjusted to Eileen’s ideals, rather than the other way around. Jules’s homicidal ex preferred a firm hand to an open mind.

“My wife is right, of course. And normally you are allowed to have secrets, but right now it’s too dangerous.”

Jules offered a sigh of exasperation. “Gabriel, you may be one of my dearest friends, but my existence is my own.”

“But that doesn’t explain why you weren’t returning my calls,” he said. “At least tell me that you weren’t in any danger.”

“I wasn’t. I’m not in any danger. I’m perfectly fine.

Okay?” Of course, this was not at all true.

Especially if the Alpha ever found out about her and Luca.

“I silenced my phone for the day. I just needed some space. Is that so hard to believe?” Jules felt angry and guilty all at the same time.

Angry at him for making her lie to him, and guilty because she had never lied to him before. But Luca’s safety was worth this lie.

“If that’s all, why didn’t you just tell me that? Or better yet, let me know ahead of time.”

“It wasn’t a plan, it just kind of happened. But everything is fine, so can we just drop it?” she said, keeping her voice calm but feeling quite irritated.

Gabriel did not look overly pleased, but he nodded in agreement, backing down.

“Now that that ridiculousness is over, anyone up for a movie?” Eileen asked. “I saw this great one the other day!”

“You two go ahead. I’m going to get some reading in,” Gabriel said, picking up the book he’d discarded. He tapped his phone several times and classical music began to play throughout the house’s surround sound.

“Unbelievable!” Eileen flung herself off his lap and onto the couch, head coming to rest on Jules’s legs.

“Romantic Comedy in the guest room?” She asked Jules, looking at her upside down.

“Actually,” Jules pulled a book out of her bag. “I’m almost on the last chapter,” she said with a sheepish smile.

“Fine. Be boring, both of you. I’ll be in the guest room with Kristen Bell.”

Jules giggled as she watched her go. Eileen slammed the door a little harder than necessary. Jules and Gabriel smiled down at their respective pages. They sat in comfortable silence, the disagreement between them forgotten. The soft tones of classical music fostered the peaceful atmosphere.

Many nights had passed like this, in the joint calm and comfort of a book.

But tonight, Jules sat there pretending to turn page after page.

When, in reality, her ability to retain a single word was escaping her.

Everywhere she looked today, something or someone had reminded her of Luca.

The amount of time spent thinking about him made her slightly annoyed with herself.

A man with his stature entered the coffee shop as she left.

One of the students who came into the library had hair like his.

Another was wearing sneakers like the ones he wore the first time they’d seen each other.

The persistent wish was to turn around and see him right now, in this and every moment.

Jules glanced up from her page, looking at the top of Gabriel’s blond head.

His sharp nose just barely stuck out over the top of his book.

He had been her rock for centuries. She couldn’t bear the thought of betraying him now.

Gabriel was a brother to her. The only one she had now.

Still, falling for Luca wasn’t a plan. It seemed more like an inevitability.

Once Gabriel discovered her secret, he would feel betrayed.

She could only hope it wouldn’t separate them entirely.

Smiling at Gabriel, she pushed Luca from her mind, wanting to be in this moment with her dearest friend.

Nick opened Chad’s apartment door around dusk.

He’d been in no mood to return to the human’s home after leaving Incognito.

He’d spent the day roaming the city. Surprisingly, kill free.

He’d thought about a pick-me-up drink a couple times, but in the end decided against it.

Nick paused on the apartment’s threshold.

He could hear Chad talking on the phone in hushed tones; like he didn’t want to be over heard, even though he was in the apartment alone.

“No. I’m not losing him,” Chad said angrily. “Things are still going to plan.”

Nick’s eyebrows raised in curiosity.

“No, not yet. But I believe he trusts me.” Chad continued. Completely unaware of Nick’s presence. “He’ll give something away soon.”

Now Nick’s face scrunched in confusion.

“No, don’t let them pull me.” He sounded panicked. “I can still do this.”

Nick was beginning to think something odd was going on with his dense bed buddy. This intrigued him more than it should have. Was he a target of something? How curious .

Nick accidentally on purpose kicked the doorjamb to announce his presence. “Honey, I’m home.” Nick said cheerily. Listening for Chad’s reaction to this.

“He’s back. I gotta go.” Chad hastily ended the call and turned around. He smiled widely but the only emotion in his eyes was fear.

“You didn’t have to end your call on my account.” Nick waved toward Chad’s phone, now discarded on the counter.

“That’s okay.” Chad approached him, wrapping his arms around Nick and planting a kiss on his mouth. “It was just my brother.”

“You have a brother?” Nick asked, looking down at the man.

“A twin,” he confirmed.

“How did I not know this?” Nick thought of his own twin.

He’d searched for her after seeing her in her ex-best friend’s blood memories.

But he’d never found a trace of her, as he had expected.

Nick knew she died in the fire. Laurence’s muddled brain made it up because of the fear he had carried of the creatures of the night.

All Nick saw was the old bastard's nightmares.

“We haven’t exactly done the family breakdown or body count list.” Chad released Nick. Moving around the counter he discarded his dinner dishes in the over full sink and pocketed his phone.

“Yeah.” Nick watched Chad carefully. “I guess we haven’t.” Nick found it very odd that he wasn’t at least being berated for disappearing for about thirty-six hours. It seemed, things were not what they seemed with place-holder Chad.

“So, tell me about your exes,” Chad said retrieving a bottle of beer he’d obviously been nursing before Nick had returned.

Chad was obviously fishing for some kind of information.

He’d bite. Just to see where Chad went with this line of questions.

Nick’s sexual body count was probably higher than his kill list, no harm in divulging a few random names.

“Well…” Nick plopped down on the dilapidated couch, in front of Chad’s large TV and entertainment system with the broken cabinet door.

“There was Michael. George. Chris and Chris; at the same time. They were great. Jaylan. Greg. Ralf and Katherine: Great couple. Helena. Miles…”

Chad cut him off. “You’ve dated women? I didn’t know you were bi.”

“I’m only a little bi.” He opened his mouth to continue.

“Oh,” Chad tapped his fingers on the arm of the couch. Nick took notice of the anxious tick. “Well, was there someone who like really meant something to you? Someone you’ve gone back to more than once?”