Page 37 of Love Bites (Timber Creek #2)

CHAPTER 37

MAX

“Gia,” the vampire — my mother — snapped, correcting my father.

“Gia,” he repeated softly, their eyes meeting before she continued unlocking his cuffs.

My mouth opened, blatantly staring at her. All the decades I’d wondered who she was, why she wanted nothing to do with me, and she was one of the head vampires in the world?

“You have to get out of here while they’re distracted,” she said, the last cuff falling away. She reached a hand out to Malachi which he took, letting her help him to his feet.

His hands rested gently on her elbows as she uselessly brushed dirt off his dingy clothes.

“Gia,” he said again, lower now, and tipped her chin up with a finger to meet his gaze.

Their eyes locked while my world crumbled around me.

“ Andiamo ,” she said, her voice breaking. She cleared her throat. “They didn’t anticipate this attack, but we can use it to get you out.”

But Malachi shook his head. “They’ll know. He’ll know. Lock me back up.”

I gaped at him, incredulous. Lock him back up? Was he insane?

“They cut off your fucking wings!” I barked, my control snapping. “What the fuck do you mean, lock me back up?”

“Max” — Gia tsk ’ed at my nickname, but Malachi ignored her — “This isn’t the time to explain everything. But the king will know Gia was responsible for this, and I won’t allow her —”

“I know how to handle Osric,” Gia snapped.

“You’re the only one with the key!”

Gia stepped back, holding her head up tall. “I was attacked. Someone must have taken it from me. Clearly this was an orchestrated attack.” She pointed to the door Summer and I had come through. “Now, go , all of you.”

I caught Summer’s eye. “You remember the way out?”

She nodded, already moving forward, like she could read my intentions.

“I’ll be right behind you,” I assured her, then addressed Malachi. “Go. She’ll get you somewhere safe. I’ll meet you.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but I shoved him forward, and he stumbled towards the door. His obvious weakness rent a fracture through something inside me, but this wasn’t the time. He would heal. We just had to get him free.

Casting one lingering look to Gia, Malachi steeled his features, then followed Summer out of the room.

My fists clenched and unclenched at my side. I’d imagined the day I’d finally meet my mother in my head a million times over the years. Planned out all the things I’d say to her, yell at her, blame her for. All the questions I’d ask her.

And now, finally faced with her, my mind was blank. I was tired, and it had been too long.

She wasn’t worth the effort. She obviously hadn’t thought I was either, for over a hundred years.

Scoffing, I shook my head, turning to go, when her voice cut through the silence.

“That wolf — your mate?”

I stilled. She said the word so casually. Like I hadn’t been running from it in my own mind for weeks now.

Since last summer, if I were being honest. When I’d laid a friendly hand on West Larkin’s baby sister, and my magic had thrashed and flared for her, nearly piercing her mind before I knew what it wanted. To search her mind, her memories, and learn everything about her that I could.

It had never done that before or since. I’d had absolute control of my magic since I was a child.

I met my mother’s eyes — blue, as deep a blue as mine. My words came out a growl. “What about her?”

“She’s mortal.”

A snarl built in my throat, sparks shooting up my forearms. Was she threatening my wife?

Gia put up her hands, approaching slowly, but her eyes were calculating. “It’s not me you should fear where she’s concerned.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Cocking her head, Gia looked me over. “You two must be very new to each other. Has it even started yet?”

“Has what started?”

Her blue eyes sharpened, magnetizing onto mine in the way only vampires’ could. I briefly remembered she was likely extremely old — and therefore, very powerful. But I wouldn’t cower before her, no matter the strength of her magic.

“The Fixation.”

My brows furrowed, waiting for her to explain further.

She sighed, reaching out like she wanted to place a hand on my shoulder, but I swatted her away. “I realize I did you a disservice by not raising you among our kind, but I didn’t think Malachi would be so remiss. The Fixation is unique to our kind. Your father would not have context for it. It’s how it sounds, Massimo.” She lifted a shoulder, but she almost looked sad. “What we love, we destroy. We obsess and fixate and control until there is nothing left of what we fell in love with.”

I had heard some rumors about the phenomenon, but it had always seemed like a failure of character. Gia made it sound like an eventuality.

Softer, she added, “Why do you think I sent your father away? Sent you away?”

I scoffed at that. Maybe that was part of the story — at least the one she told herself — but no way that was all of it.

“So, has it started? Have you felt yourself unable to resist her? Like she’s the one temptation you can’t say no to? Like you need her? Like you’re drowning underwater and she’s your air?”

I wanted to say she had no idea what she was talking about. That it wasn’t like that with Summer.

But fuck. Sometimes I did lose control with her. Couldn’t resist her.

Hadn’t I felt exactly that seeing her in her reception dress?

And last night after her run?

“If you love her,” Gia continued, and this time her hand did land on my arm, “you’ll let her go. If you don’t, you only doom her. She deserves to be more than your Source.”

I jerked back, out of her reach, as an explosion and shouts reached us from somewhere else in the palace.

“Massimo, get out of here and never come back,” Gia said, urgent and worried now. “Osric can never see you.”

“Osric? The king? Why the fuck would he care?”

“Because he’s my husband. And if he sees you, he’ll know I had an affair. He’ll kill you. He’ll kill you all.”

A cry rent the air — familiar, and my blood turned to ice.

Summer .