Page 43 of Those That Are Lost (Hidden Vampires #2)

TY

‘ C an I tell her the truth?’ Red asks me as we ride the elevator up to Bree’s suite.

‘A version of it.’ I hate that I have to curb her revealing everything but the whole truth is too risky right now.

Red reassures me with a squeeze of her hand as we follow Bree out the elevator and across the hall.

She scans a pass and we enter her room. After a cursory sweep and a deep inhale I can tell we are alone.

I use the shadows anyway to check the rooms we can’t see.

I nod to Red when they confirm our safety.

“Please, can you drop your glamour now?” Bree asks. Red takes a deep breath and reveals her true form, except for the tattoo on her arm.

A huge smile catches Bree’s face. “You’re more powerful now. When did that happen?”

“Around the same time that I fully turned,” Red says, keeping her voice level and calm but I can see the anxiety wash over her. Bree might not react well to this. I step closer to my mate in case. Bree’s nearly full Fae and, whilst a weaker earth elemental, she still holds power .

“Turned?” Bree presses, eyes darting between the two of us.

“Bree… this isn’t easy.” Red pauses.

“Rory, what is it? You can tell me. Should I send him away first?” Bree darts daggers my way again.

I recall her threat when Red and I first got together.

Despite the time they’ve spent apart, I have no doubt the female in front of me will inflict some damage if she thinks I’ve harmed Red in any way.

“Vampires still exist,” Red practically whispers. I can’t see her face as I stand behind her but as Bree takes a step back, I’m guessing my mate has flashed her fangs.

Bree walks back a few more steps until she hits the bed, sinking into the soft mattress covered in silk sheets and a velvet runner.

“I…” She struggles for words but I hear her heartbeat pick up and smell the adrenaline flood her system.

In a flash, she’s standing again, whipping around Red and coming at me like she did in the foyer. “You fucking turned her?! What did you do? You’ve damned her to hell!” She tries to slap me again, possibly rightly so, seeing as I am partially the cause of Red’s life derailing.

Red is quick to intervene and blocks the blow.

“Bree, no! You’ve got it wrong. He’s my mate!” She pushes her friend back, getting between us.

That makes Bree pause.

“You’re actually mated? Like irrevocably bonded? Lives woven together?” She uses the Fae terminology.

“You said you could scent it.”

“I can smell that you’re fucking regularly, your scents are practically the same.”

“That’s the mate bond.” Red tells her.

“It’s similar to Fae,” I offer. “We are bonded permanently but our lives are not dependent on each other. Mates can outlive the other, although many choose not to.”

“Did you choose this?” she aims at Red.

“Yes. It’s not fated like it is with Fae.”

“I can’t believe this.” Bree begins pacing the length of the room, her heels thumping on the carpeted floor.

“Bree, I know it's a lot. I hated that I had to leave. But I had to. I’m so sorry.”

“Why did you leave? You were together in Froan.”

“I…” Red struggles.

“There’re some vampires in Froan who don't want us together. We were seeing each other in secret from them. We had to leave when they found out.” I summarise with as much detail as I can give.

“That doesn’t explain why you couldn’t tell me or Claire. You just disappeared from the gala last year. Do you know we had searches done, reported you missing, have been running a campaign?”

Oh, shit. I wonder how Adicious took to that.

“I’m sorry. I am. Bree, it was serious. We had to leave and have been moving around since.”

I note how she doesn’t mention our months apart.

“What are you doing here in the capital now?” Bree asks, her heart rate finally calming even though she’s still pacing.

“We’re working out a way back to Froan. You can’t tell anyone you’ve seen us. Please.”

“You’re still in danger?”

“Yes.”

“Why not go to the authorities?”

“Er…” Red’s eyes dart to me before looking back at her friend. “Because they’ll kill us. Vampires aren’t exactly legal, remember?”

“Right… Shit. Fucking hell, Rory! Of all the scenarios, I didn’t imagine this! ”

“I know, it's a lot.” Red takes a step towards her friend.

‘You took it far better,’ I remind Red.

‘It was a relief to me. After what I was experiencing, I was happy to know I wasn’t losing my mind.’

“Are any of those campaigns you mentioned still running?” I ask Bree gently. With Red’s glamour, we hopefully will have enough cover but it's an added complication we could do without.

“Claire’s been managing most of it for the last few months. I’ve been busy with this big showcase. You need to tell her. You’re going to tell her aren’t you?”

“Yes, of course. I was planning to find you both once we’d settled back in Froan City,” Red answers her.

We’d talked about this already. I knew she missed her best friends, and as long as we came out of this alive, we’d agreed she could seek them out, and tell them the truth.

Hope that they’d want to be back in her life.

“She’s going to call me tomorrow. Can I tell her?”

Red looks to me, but no thoughts come through the bond. She’s at a loss.

“As long as you press the importance of keeping our secret. The authorities really will kill us if they discover we’re still in existence.”

“I get that. I really do.” Bree’s eyes tell me she understands the gravity of holding our secret. “Have you been alive since the war?”

“Yes. I was born to a vampire pack. I was turned during the conflict and have been in hiding since.”

“Gods. I never sided with the Fae governments, neither did my parents, they refused to join the fighting. So you know.” She waves a hand at herself, indicating her heritage.

“I know.” I offer her a reassuring smile. “I may have looked into your family when I found out what Red was. I needed to know she’d be safe in her house. ”

‘You never told me that!’ Red fires at me as she spins to look at me as well. Her features are schooled, however, so I can’t tell how she feels about it.

‘Gold level stalking abilities, remember? I was very thorough.’ I cock my head and give her a look I know will have her forgiving me.

She rolls her eyes but the flush to her cheeks tells me it worked.

“Okay, that’s creepy but I’m glad you protected Rory,” Bree relents, completely unaware of the conversation between myself and her friend.

My phone chimes inside my jeans pocket. As only the wolves and Henry have this number, I pull it out and check it.

HENRY: We’re in room 518 whenever you’re done. Think you’ll be happy with who we’ve found. Providing he’s not lying.

Gods damn, have they managed to capture whichever males Adicious has stationed here?

TY: Will be there as quick as we can.

I relay the info to Red using our bond.

She and Bree are both sitting back on the bed now, voices a normal volume as they chat.

I don’t want to rush this reunion but I’m intrigued to see who Henry and Antares have managed to corner in the last hour in our absence.

Bree’s phone is the next one to chime.

“Shit! I’m meant to be at this function for work right now. I need to go,” she says as she pulls the device from her clutch. “I’m going to have to go, I can’t risk my contract.”

“Go, of course.” Red stands from the bed and comes over to me. I tuck her into my side.

“Don’t disappear again,” Bree firmly orders us both.

Neither of us answer her, there’s too much uncertainty to be able to reassure her of that. She pauses in her getting ready at the silence, understanding dawning on her.

“Here, can I at least have your number? I won’t breathe a word, except to Claire. I just want to know that you’re okay. Please, can you at least keep in contact?” She holds out her unlocked phone.

I take it and add the number of the one phone we have right now. Then I run a quick search on her security.

“I’ve saved it under Izzy, using Red’s name from when I found her in Wintica. Don’t change it to our names. And make sure you keep your phone updated, there’s a risk that it could be tapped if those looking for us find out that we’ve seen you.”

“Don’t worry, the ballet company is hot on that shit. You wouldn’t believe the number of stalkers we get.”

Red stiffens beside me. “Have you been threatened?”

“Yeah, it's all part of the job apparently. Like some freaky initiation. You’re not a ‘real’ dancer until you’ve amassed some fans that belong in creeper territory.” Bree laughs it off and starts gathering her things again.

We head out of the suite and take separate elevators, but not before the two females embrace, parting with tears in their eyes.

I feel the mix of happiness and sadness swirling within my mate.

She’s so glad to have one of her best friends back and to have told her the truth, but sad that this meeting was so brief.

Stepping into our elevator, I push the button to take us to level five before I pull Red into my arms, laying a soft kiss to her brow.

She clings to me and inhales deeply. I really hope this plan plays out the way we are planning it to so Red can finally have some semblance of a normal life.

I want her to have her friends back, and a home in the city I know she also misses.

I feel Red’s body change in my arms as she pulls her glamour back into place.

“Ready for this?” I ask as we exit the lift and stroll, fingers entwined, down the corridor to the correct room.

“Yes. Let's get some answers.”

‘You know we’re possibly going to have to kill either one or both of the males depending on which ones they are, right? We only really need one to get us back to Froan.’

‘I know. If it keeps you safe, I’ll do it in a heartbeat. Adicious isn’t getting his hands on you again.’ Her growl reverberates off the walls as she speaks into my mind. I can’t help the rush of blood to my dick at her violent side. This female.