Page 16

chapter fifteen

Michaela

“ Mizani, where are you?” Markis’s deep voice startles me.

I quickly hide the glass container behind my back. When he enters our bedchamber, his dark brown eyes scan the room as if he thinks someone is hiding up here with me.

“What do you have there?”

“Nothing,” I lie.

His gaze narrows. He steps further into the room. The Persian rug muffles his quiet footfalls. He stops in front of me. I start to feel the heavy weight of his presence in my head. It feels like a herd of elephants is stomping over my thoughts. I use all my strength to assure my shield is up and in place.

Markis chuckles. “Damn, you’re getting so much better at that.” he strokes the back of his hand down my cheek. “Unfortunately for you, you did not take into consideration that mirrors show reflections.”

I look to my right, and sure enough, he can see clearly what I am hiding through the mirror on my dressing table.

“Why didn’t you tell me you thought you were with child?” With a hand on my hip, he pulls me into his chest.

I look away from his penetrating stare.

“We have tried so many times, only to be disappointed. I did not want to get your hopes up for nothing.”

“Look at me, wife.”

I bring my gaze back to his. “You have never disappointed me. We will have a child.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. Maybe the witch was right.”

Years ago, we came across a coven of witches that we believed knew the location of a key. They had no information for us. As Markis slaughtered the small coven, one of the witches told me that my womb was cursed. She said that I would never bear him a child. Before she could finish her sentence, I beheaded her.

“No,” he says, cutting me off. “She was not. Come now, let’s see the result.”

Sighing, I bring the jar of urine from behind my back. Placing it down on the dressing table, I grab the white wildflowers. I discovered the trick from a witch. If you place the crushed white flowers into the jar and the urine turns purple, you’re pregnant. If the urine turns bright yellow, you’re not. There’ve been so many yellow jars.

I crush the flowers in the palm of my hand before tossing them into the jar. Markis and I look over the urine intently in hopes of seeing the purple. However, as the crushed flowers settle to the bottom of the container, the urine slowly turns a bright yellow.

My shoulders fall and my head drops. The first of my tears fell from my eyes.

A finger to my chin lifts my head. His dark brown eyes soften as they stare at me.

“This changes nothing. We will try again.”

Shaking my head, I pull away from him and turn my back. “No. I am done. No more heartache and disappointment.”

His body heat presses against my back. “My love. I want to give you everything. Seeing you desire something that I can’t provide hurts me.”

I spin around to stare up at him. “It is not you that has a useless womb. I am the one that is defected.”

A growl comes from his lips that sends a chill down my spine.

“Never speak that way of yourself in my presence. You are not defected.” He pulls me into him, wrapping his arms around my back. I bury my face in his chest.

It’s funny how love makes you feel. The scent of this man lights my body on fire. Feeling his body against mine makes me dizzy. Hearing his voice causes goose pimples to cover my skin. I loved Markis more than I loved myself.

“This is why what we are doing is so important. Not only so vampires can finally be at the apex of power, where they rightfully belong, but also so we can harness the key's power to fulfill our desires.”

I lean back, looking up at his face.

He drops a brief kiss on my lips. “The moment I have the power of the fey, I will use it to open your womb, and we will have as many babies as you want.”

I’ll admit, I didn’t fully agree that vampires should be the rulers of this world. But I believed in Markis and whatever he wanted, he should get. He deserved that power. However, hearing him say that he would use the gift of the fey to give me children let me know I was making the right decision by following him.

“I love you,” I say.

He lifts me up, carrying me to our bed. “As I do you. Now, I will show you how much.”

His lips seal to mine as he placed me down on the bed. His heavy body lying on top of me.

I come awake abruptly. My body heated and my core pulsing as I remember the way Markis pushed his heavy dick inside me that day.

Sitting up in bed, I place my feet on the floor as I clutch at my pounding heart.

“Mizani,” his deep timbre whispers in my head. “Come home, my wife.”

“Get the fuck out of my head, Markis,” I growl.

His deep chuckle fades as I place a hidden barrier between our connection. I should have known he caused that dream. He’s getting stronger. The fact that he was able to plant that memory into my subconscious is a sign of his growing power.

I quickly get out of bed and grab my phone. Slipping out onto the porch, I dial Tech’s number.

It’s the ass crack of dawn. Marley is still fast asleep. Everything is silent around me.

“It’s five in the morning, Zani,” Tech’s sleepy voice comes through the phone.

“I need you to check on Markis. Is he still in the city?”

“Ugh,” Tech grumbles, but the rustling in the background tells me he’s doing what I asked. “I want you to know I have a class in a few hours. I need my rest so that I can do well in class.”

“You’re a certified genius, Tech. You can do your class work in your sleep.”

His light laughter precedes the clicking of his computer keys.

“You’re right about that,” he says before going silent. “Looks like your ex is still in Chicago. He’s recruited a few more members. And….oh shit.”

“What?”

“Looks like they found Raoul dead late last night.”

One more member of the old disciples has been killed. If I’m correct, that leaves only two more of the original twelve that betrayed him before he comes after me.

“The royal families are panicking. Most have fled the city,” Tech goes on to say.

“They should. He’s coming for them too.” I let out a deep sigh, rubbing my forehead.

“What’s wrong?” Tech ask picking up on my tension.

“He’s playing in my dreams. This morning, I could almost feel his caress against my skin.”

Tech is silent on the other end of the phone. Finally, he speaks again.

“You need to break the bond.”

“I know that. But I can’t. He made it damn near impossible.”

When Markis first suggested we do a soul tie and not just a mate bond, I was ecstatic. I thought it meant he truly loved me. I was young and dumb. Now, I have a connection with a man that would damn near kill me if I tried to break it. It would take an act of the gods to break our bond.

“Maybe you should ask someone.”

“There is no one to ask.”

“You could always seek out the store.”

I pause. “Absolutely not.”

Tech laughs. “Oh, come on. She can’t be that bad.”

“She’s worse. I will not summon that chaotic, insane, meddlesome enchantress.”

His laughter pierces my ear. “Is it true no one knows what she is or how she truly looks?”

“Yes. Moira is ancient. She’s been around longer than any of us. Some say even longer than the fey. Her appearance changes depending on who is talking to her. No one knows exactly what she looks like.”

“That’s so cool. I’d love to meet her.”

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “If nothing else gives away the fact that you’re only half vampire, it’s your desire to meet that woman. I would have to be completely out of options before I summon her and that damn store.”

Tech laughs again. “Well, you need to figure something out. Markis is occupied now, but as soon as he’s done here, he’s coming for you.”

I knew this. It’s why I’ve been trying to buy time. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out my next move.

I’ve been here for over three months now. Although a lot has changed since the time I first arrived, my presence is still not desired. For a moment, I allowed myself to believe that things could work out here. However, when the Beta showed up on my doorstep two weeks ago and told me not to come to training, those hopes were dashed. At least Marley doesn’t seem as miserable anymore.

After saying bye to Tech, I got dressed for the day. I spent the first part of my morning trying to track down those vampires. I’m starting to believe they’ve moved on. There hasn’t been another case of people being drained and I haven’t been able to find them. Maybe they were just passing through.

Now, I’m sitting beside my sister in the cafeteria. We still aren’t getting a warm welcome, but at least there aren’t any more dead rats.

I lock eyes with the Beta across the room. Since the night he banned me from training, he’s kept his distance. I can always see him lurking, but he doesn’t speak to me anymore. Part of me wants to know why the change.

Look, I had no belief that he and I would be besties, but we were cordial. I can’t lie, as if I didn’t kind of miss it. It was disappointing when he told me not to train with them. I actually liked the idea. It would’ve given me something to do.

His golden eyes narrow, before turning away to listen to whatever the green-eyed female said. I’ve noticed her presence at his cabin has increased.

I turn back to Marley. Her energy is buzzing beside me, even more than normal. It has been since we walked in.

For the first time, I pay attention to her. At first glance, it looks as if she’s looking around the room, but after watching her, I notice her gaze keeps landing on a particular wolf.

Torak glances at Marley, and a subtle smile lifts the corner of his lips before he turns away. Marley blushes before looking down at her food.

I know the fuck not.

“Absolutely not,” I lean over and whisper to her.

She turns to me, her eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Zidora Nizam,” I growl out, using her real name. “I may not be an empath, but I’m damn sure a woman. I know when my little sister is being hot in the panties.”

Her eyes catch fire as she glares back at me. “I’m seventeen. I’m old enough to date.”

“You are a got damn infant in our world. Don’t talk to me about your age.”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re not my mother.”

“You’re lucky, because that bitch would’ve killed you by now.”

We stare at each other. Her anger builds as we speak. I remind myself of how young she is, and that this is all new to her.

Sighing, I shut my eyes, breaking the stare off. “Sorry,” I say before opening my eyes again. “But I mean it, Marley. That can’t happen. I don’t need those problems right now.”

She shakes her head. “Yeah, because you’ve already caused us enough.” Her words cut me to the bone. I sit in silence as she gathers her food tray and storms out of the dining hall.

The heat from his stare is like a furnace. I turn to the Beta and he’s watching me. His head tilted to the side. Breaking eye contact with him, I gather my food and place it in the trash before heading out of the cafeteria as well.

I don’t go home. I needed time away from Marley. After an hour of roaming aimlessly through the forest, I step out on the other side of pack lands. As soon as I come through the tree line, I spot the Beta, Chayton, Zyion, and the White Wolf huddled together.

They all stop talking when I step through the trees. For some reason, my gaze goes to the Beta’s first.

“Don’t let me interrupt you.” I go to walk away when the White Wolf calls my name.

“You might could help us,” he says.

“We don’t need her help,” the Beta argues.

“Let me be the judge of that,” I say, walking up to them.

The Beta opens his mouth to say something, but the White Wolf speaks first.

“They killed another family. This time it was a husband, wife, and an elderly couple.”

“When was this?” I ask. I’d just been out this morning and had heard nothing.

“About an hour ago,” Chayton says. “I picked up the call on the police scanner.”

So my theory was incorrect. I thought the vamps might have left already, but they were just lying in wait.

“Alright, I need to see the crime scene.”

“No,” the Beta says crossing his arms over his chest.

“Excuse me, I was talking to the Alpha of this pack.”

He steps toward me. “You got one more time—”

“Whoa,” Chayton steps in between me and his Beta. “Everyone back to your corners.”

The Beta takes a step back, but his angry glare does not leave my face.

“I appreciate the offer,” Chayton says to me. “But I’m sure Alarick is very much capable of using his vampire ability to assist us.”

“Would he be able to tell you they are human-turned vampires, and they don’t follow the rules of traditional vampires?”

All three men turn to the White Wolf.

Alarick shrugs.

Chayton sighs as he turns back to me. “Fine, you can come.”