Page 6

Fall gradually asserted its presence in the sprawling countryside surrounding the city. The forests became a tapestry of beautiful hues, shifting from vibrant green to brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. With the shedding of needles by the pine trees and leaves by the maple trees, the forest showcased the imminent transition of seasons, permeating the surroundings with a potent aroma of pine and mold. The air was perfumed with the pungent scent of pine and pinene, almost overwhelming the senses.

I’d known where Winchester had built her chateau but hadn’t yet visited the countryside estate. The drive there was absolutely beautiful. Maybe it was from being locked away for months, or maybe it was the joy I felt at being with my siblings that heightened my awareness of the beautiful, peaceful countryside we traveled through.

Once Winchester had become aware of my inability to leave, she’d chosen to build nearby. Honestly, knowing she was close to me brought me solace and put my mind at ease about not being alone.

As I shifted my attention to my siblings, all absorbed in their struggles, a wave of remorse washed over me. I forced them away from the lives they’d created abroad after they managed to get away from our mother’s abusive iron grip.

Winchester’s decree had forced the others to come here. They’d left behind their homes, businesses, friends, and family. By being incredibly na?ve, I managed to ruin the lives of everyone I cared about.

Winchester had told me to run. I’d chosen to stay and not listen. My decision to stay had brought me directly to Rhys, just as she had dreaded. I fell right into his lap, like a prized pet he’d collared and claimed.

Inside the SUV, I felt my stomach clench with guilt at how many lives I’d ruined by my choices. Choices I’d made on a whim, assuming my mother was in dire need of being rescued. What an idiot I must’ve been to think I could play the hero by returning to save her from monsters when she was the biggest monster of all.

It was baffling to me that nobody had openly acknowledged my mistake in their haste to come here. I wouldn’t blame any of them for it. It subsequently landed me on Van Helsing’s dick.

With my hand on my abdomen, I bit down on my bottom lip to steady myself against the surge of emotions. They came at me with the force of angry waves crashing against the beach.

Winchester’s intense argument with a customer distracted me enough to halt tears from flowing, despite my precarious emotional state. Guilt was a troublesome burden to weather through, worse when weathering it alone.

I directed my attention to the rest of the people in the vehicle. Savage seemed deeply engrossed in the audio playing through her headphones.

Beretta was skimming through a novel. A dark romance or something similar in nature, judging by the cover. We shared a love of walking red flags. It could’ve been a genetic thing, though.

Daisy was mindlessly doom scrolling through her social media, and Beretta occasionally peeked over now and then to snoop. Our eyes caught over the top of her book briefly, causing a knowing smile on her lips.

It wasn’t that I disliked the peace in the car. The darkness and gloom in my mind were becoming overwhelming. Bringing my attention back to the fast paced countryside, I leaned my head against the window.

The events of the last few days were so intense that it was challenging to grasp. The guys had all been forced away due to shit occurring in the supe world, as they’d dubbed it on their way out the door.

I had extremely complicated, powerful wards on my house. It hadn’t prevented entry against the knights. Conrad had used a connection he had to enforce those wards and runes, but both had failed. If my wards had failed, how would theirs stand up against those looking to harm me?

I couldn’t count on them to protect me currently. Not unless I got in shape and could run with the big dogs. Literally. Well, not dogs. Wolves. Let’s be honest. I wasn’t a runner. I’d end up left alone in the woods, and that hadn’t ended well for me last time.

Faery was off the table as well. I wasn’t about to enter another world where, if you ate the food, you could be enslaved. Hunter hadn’t been studying my food cravings for scientific purposes, and we both knew it. He’d intended to trap me in his realm. His need to be a father was both enticing and tragic.

Ian had offered to fly me to Scotland. The thought of being on a plane while having to use the bathroom every two minutes wasn’t appealing. Plus, I was certain the plane would be grounded or broken before it ever left the runway.

Then there was my bestie, but she had to feed and the bitch was starving. Nymphs had needs. Needs that couldn’t be ignored. She’d tried to ignore them during the first few weeks. It hadn’t been pretty.

Nothing screamed what the fuck, like a nymph humping her pillow, screaming profanities throughout the entire night. I’d spent countless nights covering my head with my pillow to ignore the grotesque noises coming from her room. I’d almost called Rhys and surrendered to escape the painful wailing.

If I had to guess where she was, I’d put my money on Nyx being with Acyn tonight, doing what she referred to as ‘ the wild willy thang .’

Unless she’d gone to Forged Desires. If we expected to make money, it needed to open its doors, like yesterday. Nyx’s current mission was teaching the newbie nymphs how to enthrall their prey. She wanted them ready for the moment we got the green light to open the club’s doors.

Rhys’ unwavering determination was to keep us living in desolation and squalor. If he sought my attention by stealing the money I’d rightfully earned, he’d fail. It had only made me despise him more than I already did. There were healthier ways to communicate. Something he’d been unable to figure out.

I knew he’d resorted to stalking me from the shadows. I was aware of him being across the street, hidden from sight. He had been lurking in the darkness, stalking me for months, yet never revealing himself to me or anyone else. I’d once stood on the front porch, daring him to come out and taunt me.

It was evident I’d become a masochist. I didn’t want to hear him express how little I meant to him. I desired to hear his voice softly uttered in my ear. His warm breath gently brushed against the sensitive skin below my ear. Rhys’ powerful grip on my body intensified as he drew me closer, his lips eagerly devouring mine.

What could I say? Desperation made a strange bedfellow.

My sexual desire had hit astonishing heights as soon as I entered the second trimester. I’d never been so hyper focused on getting laid before. The sensation of clothing rubbing against my nipples was suffocating and uncomfortable. I had reached the stage where my need to get laid was identical to Nyx’s, much to my horror.

There were countless nights when sleep eluded me, desperately craving release. The predicament was that I lived in a house inhabited by immortals. They were able to detect, hear, and smell the state of my body. They’d likely notice my orgasm before I did.

It left me with a precarious dilemma. Either accept the shame or deal with the never-ending need furling within the pit of my belly. Obviously, I’d chosen the second option.

Then there was Rhys, who’d shown up and protected me. Why? If he despised me that much, why hadn’t he simply let the knight split me in two? It would have provided a solution to the current problem. His hands would’ve been clean as well.

His obligation to me or our child would have been lifted if I had died. The only requirement was for him to wait for it to unfold, and then he could walk away unscathed. Rhys hadn’t, though. He’d intervened and saved me from the asshole who’d done his best to cut me in two.

After safeguarding me, Rhys had the choice to leave my awkward ass on the floor where I’d fallen. Instead, he opted to take me to a neutral place, causing even more confusion. It would have been effortless for him to bring me to House Van Helsing had he decided to. He could have done it without anyone stopping him. There were no witnesses to the attack who could report where I was taken or by whom.

What was stopping Rhys from doing it? I felt completely overwhelmed, pondering why he didn’t detain me when I was unable to fight back. Why had he done the honorable thing when he was the villain in my tale?

“Remington, are you alright?” Daisy’s soft-spoken interruption brought me back to reality.

“I’m fine.” The words flowed effortlessly from my mouth, leaving a bitter aftertaste. Lately, I’d managed to perfect the art of lying. Whenever Nyota or Nyx asked how I was doing, that was my automatic response.

I couldn’t honestly say how truly unhappy I was being trapped in a tiny, miserable dwelling, day in and day out. I didn’t want to sound ungrateful, even if that meant being dishonest.

Nyota had ensured I never went hungry. Nyx provided daily reports of the club and what was occurring there. Luckily, Nyota made sure I was kept busy while they were gone through long days and endless nights when they left.

She’d supplied cards for playing solitaire. That kept my mind occupied for a few hours. Next, she’d gotten yarn for knitting. Unfortunately, that ended with me tying knots in the yarn. I then presented her with the results, of which she’d sworn beneath her breath, irritably. After she’d discovered I could not knit, Nyota had brought in bags filled with secondhand books.

Nyx had then assumed I’d preferred Nyota’s gifts to hers, which had resulted in the daily delivery of sex toys. Refusing them hadn’t gone over well. I was more than willing to soothe my own needs. It had more to do with her saying they were samples people had brought to her at the club. However, it caused a wedge between us, one I’d been repairing slowly.

Who knew adult companies sent people driving around to clubs to offer samples of sex toys for shows ? No thanks.

It had forced me to ask her what she’d put in the permits she’d filed in terms of the type of ‘club’ we were currently opening. Luckily, that section of the business was hers, while I’d deal with my forge and weaponry shop. Not that I for one moment believed that I’d be so lucky. It was merely what I continually told myself to prevent a full-blown panic attack from striking me.

I’d uprooted so many lives with my mistakes that I had no reason to burden them with my problems. They hadn’t caused my current situation. I had. No way in hell would I add my troubles to the list of shit they were already worried about.

“What do you think of the chateau?” Winchester asked, nodding toward a house hardly visible through the tree lined fence as we sped down the highway. At first, I thought Winchester was fucking around with me. Savage grinned as she yanked the earbud from her ear.

The air left my lungs as the opulent French Country chateau came into sight ahead of us. It wasn’t what I’d expected the house to be. Far from it, in fact.

“Holy shit.”

A massive French-style manor was surrounded by vibrant oranges and reds of the coming fall. Manicured lawns and colorful shrubbery, along with blue and violet flowers, lined a long-paved driveway to the mansion.

House Silversmith made one hell of a first impression. It was magnificently built and stood like a beacon, with sunlight sinking behind the mountain range surrounding it. The magnificent house held lofty, sweeping glass towers and arches.

The dramatic and stunning exterior was enhanced with the lavish courtyard and enchanting flora. The silver embellishments and stonework on the outside bespoke the interior within.

The wrought-iron gates surrounding the property held silver spears every few feet, warning those seeking to harm the inhabitants within its protection. Statues coated in silver had been scattered throughout the landscape as well.

To an outsider, they’d appear as statements of wealth. To everyone else, they’d see them for exactly what they were. Weapons to use in case we were attacked.

The entire property made a statement of old world sophistication. It was a statement of wealth or power, one not to be ignored.

Winchester chuckled, then leaned forward to place a finger beneath my jaw. With an upward movement, she made a clicking sound with her tongue against her teeth. I focused on her and smiled.

“Welcome to the Chateau Silversmith, Remington.” The pride flooding Winchester’s voice spoke volumes. “My house is your house. I need you to know that. You’re safe here. Stay for as long as you want. You and your child are of our blood, making you both precious to us.”

“All of us,” Savage added with softening blue eyes as she aimed the weight of it at me. “You’re the youngest of the original Silversmith line. That makes you ours to protect.”

Savage’s words made the smile on my face falter. “It isn’t that, Savage. I’m not worth starting a war over. Our family barely survived the last one. Some of us didn’t survive. I don’t want that to happen again. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to any one of you.”

Savage snorted as she flicked her silver hair over her shoulder. “You think we’re weak? I assure you, we’re not. We’ve trained to face off against the Van Helsings since the moment we were old enough to hold a weapon or wield magic.”

The others muttered their agreement. A knot of worry formed in my throat, choking my words off. I didn’t want either side to be harmed or involved in another bloody war.

“I don’t want anyone fighting over me. I know that we’re all trained for battle.” Looking around at the faces of my siblings, I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Mother made sure we were all weapons to use against anyone she chose to decimate. That’s never been in doubt. The thing is, we’re in this mess because of her. I’d prefer we not repeat history if possible.”

“You don’t want your lover harmed?” Daisy asked, blowing on her nails before she buffed them on her pink sundress.

“No one is to harm Rhys or any other Van Helsing. We don’t make a move unless we are sure there’s no other recourse. We don’t invite war until we’re certain there’s no way around it. This time, let them make war upon us without reason. Last time, they had the backing of the other houses because Mother was a monster. That cannot be the reason they give for the houses this time around. We’re not monsters. The world has evolved. So have we. Let’s not give them a reason to burn our house down—” Winchester’s soft chuckle made me hesitate as uncertainty clawed at my chest.

A smile stretched over her generous mouth. “You grew up on me, Remi. Wisdom and beauty are a rare combination. Both look good on you.” Offering her a sad smile, I felt my cheeks heating. “There is the issue of the connection you share with Van Helsing.”

“I’m not even sure what the connection entails. Honestly, I’ve not felt much of anything from him or the link we share from it,” I admitted hesitantly.

I’d been too afraid to explore the bond.

If I strummed my fingers over it, I felt warmth.

If I prodded it, I felt revulsion.

When I reached for it, I felt an icy chill rushing down my spine. As if it were a warning to cease and desist attempting to explore the connection.

After a couple of times of being encased in loathing malice with an acidic tang of hatred burning the back of my throat, I’d abandoned it altogether. If those were his feelings I’d sampled, I’d rather ignore them.

“We’ve searched the lore unsuccessfully. There’s nothing saying what happens when a Silversmith gifts a Van Helsing their silver. It’s never happened before. I’m afraid you’re the first to try it, Remington,” Daisy muttered.

“Whatever happens, it doesn’t change that you’re our sister,” Beretta said without hesitation. “It merely means we must tread carefully with what is said around you for now.” Beretta’s words were met with agreement from the others.

“If we must fight to protect you, know that we will not hesitate. You need to understand the gravity of that, Remi. Rhys Van Helsing made it clear you mean nothing to him before every immortal present on the grounds of his estate. He wanted them to know you were no longer underneath his protection.” Winchester’s voice shook as she spoke.

“I don’t know why he did what he did. It couldn’t have been easy to see your ex-lover back from the grave, or learn you’ve been banging her daughter.” My stomach threatened to empty as I’d stated what had bothered me most about discovering my mother was Roslyn.

“Ouch,” Daisy said while wincing dramatically. “Point taken. However, what Winchester stated is a fact, not a question. We will fight to protect you, sister.”

We moved farther up the driveway in silence. Luckily, the location they’d chosen to build on was still within the county lines, but far enough away to discourage most townsfolk from trying to burn it down while they slept. It was the farthest I could ever escape from Rhys.