Choices (The Forever series, Book Four)
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Authors: Eve Newton
The Forever Series Book Four
Newton
Edited,
Produced, and Published by Writer’s Edge Publishing 2013
All
rights reserved.
©
2013 by Eve Newton.
rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a
retrieval system in any form or by any means without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
All characters in this book are fictitious, and any
resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Forever
(The Forever Series Book One)
The Power
of One (The Forever Series Book Two)
Revelation
(The Forever Series Book Three)
Choices
(The Forever Series Book Four)
Los Angeles, USA, August 2012 - Liv
Looking out over the ocean from my balcony, it felt good
to be home. We had been back there for a couple of months now and things had
settled down. We were heading to New York soon, around the end of October when
Cole goes to Canada to start shooting his film. That was a process and a half
to get his contract sorted. Devon did a bang up job in the end but the
negotiations were intense, taking into account all of the Vampire factors
without saying as much took some doing. By far the trickiest point was of
course the Faerie Silver. He can never take it off and without drawing undue
attention to it, I had to go and procure another. In the end it was two small,
flat discs about the size of a penny, which I inserted under his skin so
completely unnoticed and yet still protecting him. It was an idea we had no
clue would work after a massive brainstorm, and both fortunately and
unfortunately Devon made a choice to be the guinea pig as my unknown status was
unreliable. Thankfully it worked and all was well. Both of them were protected
but neither wants to take off the ring I gave them. It was sweet and I knew how
they felt about it.
"More?" Lincoln asked me, bringing my attention
back to him sitting next to me.
"Please." I held my glass out for him to pour
more wine into it.
I fell back into my reverie and thought back to what
happened after Lincoln made his declaration back in Transylvania.
All hell broke loose and I mean that in a literal sense.
I had been in hell since that day, as my sire was no longer talking to me. And
I don't mean in just his usual lack-of-forthcoming way. He was cold and hard
and as much as I tried to get him to forgive me, it just makde things worse. He
tried to take out Lincoln and I had to use my Dragon-given Powers to stop him.
He was so furious with me.
"Penny for them?" Lincoln asked.
I sighed, "Three guesses."
"Oh. He'll come around," he tried to reassure
me.
"I hope so," I said quietly and he took my
hand. We sat in a companionable silence for a while.
After killing Lance, his magick-bearing Romani slaves
were released from their curse and were beyond grateful to me and pledged their
support and loyalty. I offered them Castle Black to stay in as I had no use for
it and I certainly would never go back there, it was the least I could do for
allowing him to live so long in the first place.
"How are things coming along with the gathering of
the packs?" I asked, needing a distraction.
"It's good. The last two meetings went better than
the first two," he chuckled.
"I can imagine," I said dryly. "I can only
assume the outrage that must have ensued when they found out a Vampire was
their new Queen."
"I think it helps that you are no regular Vampire.
They understand you better because they think of you as a Shifter yourself.
Want to talk about trying that again?"
"No, not really. I mean, trying not talking about
it," I said. I tried to Shift to my Dragon form a couple of weeks ago and
it didn't go well. In fact, it just plain didn't go. It was very frustrating as
I usually excelled at everything I did and yet I just seemed to be coming up
with one failure after another. My failure to keep my sire happy, my failure to
keep my husband happy, my failure to Shift.
Constantine had revised the terms of our agreement in
that while I still go to him for two days in the week I had been given times to
come and go as it suited him, which was emailed to me on a weekly basis. It was
all incredibly humiliating and hurtful but his new threat to keep Cole from me
pushed me to endure it. Cole wouldn’t manage on his own without me. Not then.
He was still too new. For Constantine to even suggest forcing us apart was a cruel
and unusual punishment against his own kind.
My phone beeped next to me. Well, that was my cue.
"I'd better go." I pointed next door to where
Constantine lived. I was surprised he still decided to come but apparently his
sense of duty to the Underworld was greater than his hatred of me.
"Okay," Lincoln said and looked at me with pity
and Cole gave me a quick hug and a chaste kiss, not wanting his scent to linger
on me, the feeling of guilt radiated off him having me do this because of him.
New York, USA, January 2013 - Liv
Bursting through the door of the lower penthouse suite,
Devon and I are wet from the rain but in high spirits after a lovely dinner and
a few drinks and dancing in the bar down the block. It is still early but I am
due upstairs with Constantine in about twenty minutes. Pushing me back towards
the door Devon picks me up and, hands under my skirt, pulls my knickers from me
with a quick rip.
"I want you," he murmurs against my mouth before
he pushes his tongue through my lips.
I undo his pants and pull him out and he takes me, quickly
bringing us both to an orgasm at the same time. I never get tired of that, so
in tune with each other’s bodies and feelings. I kiss him softly and drop my
legs from around his waist.
"I have to go shower," I tell him.
"No, I haven't had you for days. You have time,"
he whispers in my ear as he holds me back by my arm. "I need you."
I am on my knees seconds after he says that, what kind of a
bad sire would I be if I refused his plea? About to take him in my mouth, he
also drops to his knees and says, "You know where I want you," and
turns me around. I do know. I have denied him for a while now as I don't
particularly care for it as I don't get much out of it but I am in a giving
mood so I drop my hands to the floor and he groans with delight as he moves
closer and pushes himself against me. I feel myself give way as he pushes
gently into me, savoring the experience. But, ever one to please me, he drops
his hand from my hip and reaches down to stroke my clit as he increases his
speed to suit his own needs.
"Are you close, baby?" he whispers. "I'm so
ready but I want you to come too."
I feel the pressure building as he rubs me but not in time
as he cries out as he comes inside me, but in all fairness keeps up the steady
stroking until I throb against his fingers.
Breathing heavily he pulls out of me and pulls me to his
lap. "Thank you," he murmurs and lets me go. I stand quickly. I have
exactly five minutes now to get showered and upstairs before I am late. Shedding
my clothes as I head towards the bathroom I step into the shower and turn on
the jets. Devon steps in behind me and says, "I'm not done yet. One more.
I want it all."
"Dev, I'm going to be late."
"Please Lizzie, Please," he begs.
I Shift as he calls me Lizzie, he deserves to have his real
sire take care of him and his eyes light up as he stares into my big blue ones.
I trail my hands down his slippery wet chest, brushing my nails over his
nipples as I sink to my knees and take him in my mouth, the water beating down
on us soaking my dark hair as he pushes his hands into it to hold my head in
place.
"Oh, baby. Let me fuck your mouth," he says as he
moves his hips back and forth, pulling him in and out of my mouth as I work my
tongue around him. Pushing deeper into my mouth, he groans as he comes quickly
in hot spurts down my throat. I push him back and swallow as I stand, Shifting
back to Liv. "Baby, I really have to get moving," I say as he pants
with the exertion of his multiple orgasms brought forth so quickly. A Vampire's
constitution is strong and we are ready to go anytime, anywhere, but even so,
for a male, three in less than twenty minutes is a lot. I finish up and step
out. He wraps a towel around me and says, "I love you Liz, but I can't do this
anymore. I have to go."
"Go where?" I ask him as I briskly dry myself,
magickally getting dressed in a black mini dress and black Louboutins as I step
forward to follow him. My Powers have grown immensely in the last six months. I
can do things that I never thought possible, and this handy trick of being
dressed and undressed with just a thought is a massive time saver.
"Dev?" I ask him as he storms into his bedroom and
slams the door. I haven't got the time to follow him as I am now coming up to
ten minutes late. Sighing, I move towards the front door and head towards the
elevator to go up one floor to the upper penthouse that is occupied by my sire.
Stabbing the button repeatedly--impatiently cursing my own Teleporting and
Astralling in any and all public places ban--it takes an eternity to arrive. We
have accomplished a lot in the last six months. I have my Regency mostly in
place (we decided to call it something different from The Council and came up
with that) and we are uniting The Underworld, bringing all supernatural and
paranormal--whatever you want to call us--creatures together. As a result,
masses of people are converging in large groups and we need to keep as low a
profile as possible. If we got caught out even in the slightest act of magick,
things would get ugly, fast.
Finally stepping out into Constantine's penthouse I find him
staring out the window, drink in hand.
"You are late," is all he says, still staring out
of the window. I glance at the clock, ten minutes past ten. Shit.
"I'm sorry. I got held up," I apologize.
"You know the rules."
"I do. I am sorry. It won't happen again."
He places his hand on a black box and slides it wordlessly
across the baby grand piano at me.
A bit confused, I stare at it for a moment. I broke the
rules and he's rewarding me? No, that can't be it, I think, as I open it, dread
creeping up my spine. At first glance it looks like a beautiful diamond
necklace but on closer inspection I glare at it in distaste.
"Put it on," he orders me.
I slam the lid back down and throw the box back at him which
he catches deftly, not even bothering to move his eyes from the window.
He places it back on the baby grand and then turns to me. He
places his finger on top of the box and slowly slides it around the piano as he
walks towards me. He stops and pushes the box in front of me, his face cold and
impassive. I look into his eyes, but I see nothing. Since Lincoln's declaration
back in June last year he has been this way. Gone is my loving sire from
Tuscany who talked about how much he loved me. He hasn't told me he loves me in
all that time, he hasn't even been kind or caring. We haven't kissed and we
certainly haven't made love. I turn up at the allotted times and we fuck and
then he leaves to sleep in a separate room, if I am even permitted to stay
here. We don't speak of anything except Regency business, and as much as I try
to get him to open up about anything else, he just clams up more.
"Put it on," he orders me again. "You will
put it on and wear it until you get back from seeing him again. Maybe then, if
you have remembered your manners, you may take it off."
I glare at him in fury now. I am his Queen. He may still be
my sire, but I now outrank him in this new and quite frankly strange hierarchy
we are trying to build, and he has the nerve to treat me as his--I gulp visibly
as I think of the word--pet.
"Do it or you know the consequences. Do you think he
will be able to survive without you, Liv?" he asks coldly and as much I
love him as my sire, I hate him in that moment. He sees the flash of anger in
my eyes and for the slightest second I think I see his sadness but the shutters
are in place as usual so I can't be sure. And that's another thing: he only
calls me “Liv” now in a show of detachment.
Unable to risk my charge’s well-being, my husband's
well-being, I grab the box and take out the diamond studded collar and clasp it
snugly around my neck.
He fingers the platinum “C” that drops from it, making me
his, with a self-satisfied look that makes me want to hurt him. Letting it drop
back against my skin without touching me he moves away from me to stare into
the fire, "Explain your reasons."
Here's my chance to get even I think, my anger burning as
brightly as the fire. "I was with Devon," I say boldly and he turns
back to me fury on his face. At my smug look his eyes flash in anger and it is
the first emotion I have seen in them for months. He throws his glass into the
fireplace and the fire roars up as the Scotch hits the flames. Having hit a
nerve and my own fire roaring now, I add, "In fact, there isn't one place
that you can go tonight that he hasn't already been."
I leave that to sink in as he steps towards me, a murderous
look on his face. I hope that he beats me black and blue over my comments. At
least it would be better than this awful indifference he has towards me that
kills off just a little part of me every time I see him now. Maybe it would
make him feel better and we could then move on.
I step towards him, arms crossed, defensive, willing him to
make the first move.
But as expected he backs down and with a last look at me he
stalks out onto the balcony.
I watch him through the window for a few minutes, gazing out
over a rainy Manhattan, unmoving. I wish I knew what was going through his
head. Is he angry with me because I was with Devon when I should have been with
him, or is pissed off plainly because I was with Devon?
These last months have been so hard without him, without his
support. It breaks my heart to have him angry with me. I know I hurt him deeply
when I accepted Lincoln's, albeit slightly forced, offer of being his Alpha. I
hurt all of them. Devon got over it quickly; it didn't take much wheedling to
get him to forgive me. Cole took a bit longer but he too accepted it as part of
my new role in bringing us all together. But Constantine just wouldn't give an
inch. He saw it as a massive betrayal to our kind and to him as the sole living
creator of our kind, but also as my sire and well let’s be blunt about it, my
husband-to-be whenever that will be. The fact that I linked myself to yet
another man he has to share me with angered him beyond anything I could have
fathomed. For all his words of “no ordinary Vampire” I don't think he truly
understands that I am so much more than that now. I can't turn back the clock,
not that I would do anything differently, but maybe I could have tried to tell
him more about this Power and what was expected of me before all this went
down. We were in a good place after Italy. Even after the awful Polly situation
I still loved him and forgave him. But this, he just can't see past and it
hurts me.
I still wear his ring as our arrangement is still in place
but with revised terms, terms which I have broken tonight and that does have me
worried. He clearly expected it of me at some point or he wouldn't have had
this collar made. I hope that it will just be a warning and he won't do
anything to hurt Cole. Well, not hurt him anymore than this adornment will.
Still staring at him for the longest time, I eventually sigh and turn away. The
clock strikes eleven and he still just stands there.
Not really knowing what I am supposed to do and really not
wanting to incur any more of his wrath, I sit at the piano and lift the lid. I
hesitate for a moment, which turns into several moments. I place my hands on
the keys and play the first thing that comes into my head: Chopin's Prelude No.
4 in E minor. It is a sad, soulful piece that fits my mood perfectly. I haven't
played in years but it feels natural and I realize I miss it. I must definitely
get a piano for downstairs and for our home back in Los Angeles. I start to
relax as I let my body take over, playing it slowly and then again as it is all
I want to hear. Switching to Nocturne, Op. 9 No.3, I sense that Constantine has
come to stand closer, watching me, but still from outside. So close yet so far
away. Encouraged that he is at least acknowledging me, sort of, I finish No.3
and start No.1. He steps inside now listening intently and pours himself a
drink, but not one for me, I note.
He knows what's coming next as I start No. 2 and he turns to
me and places the drink on the baby grand in front of me. "Your
favorite," he whispers. "Always your favorite."
"And yours," I murmur, not to him but to the piano
keys, not wanting to break the spell but wanting to remind him that I know him.
That I love him.
The clock strikes quarter to midnight and he steps closer.
Lifting a finger he closes the lid of the piano shut and I pull my fingers back
quickly before they get trapped. He takes my hand carefully and silently leads
me into the bedroom. His bedroom, not the guest room, as that is our usual
spot. He takes my dress off and pushes me gently onto the bed and back so I am
lying down. This is the most gentle he has been in a long time and I don't want
to do anything to change it.
He sits next to me and softly places his hand on me. Pushing
his fingers against my clit, he plays with me. He doesn't enter me, just a
constant spiral against me. His touch so gentle, so welcome after such
harshness from him, I quickly feel myself get wet and he smiles slightly as he
increases the speed and pressure on me. I come with a ripple of pleasure and he
grunts, satisfied that I am now ready for him in my own juices that he has
coaxed from me. The clock strikes midnight and it is now that I realize that he
waited. Waited to bring me to his bed after what I said about Devon.
He stands up and proceeds to undress, taking his time as if
I weren't even there, even going so far as to hang up his suit and place his
tie back on the rack.
I watch him closely, desperate to know what he is thinking.
Finally he is naked and again a realization hits me that this is the first time
since that day that he has fully unclothed himself to be with me. I swallow as
I watch him move towards me, wondering what he is going to do with me. Quite
frankly I don't think he knows either as he peers at me, his slanted cat's eyes
narrowed in an internal struggle.
He crawls onto the bed beside me and I catch my breath as he
leans over me and places his mouth on mine, slowly, hesitantly. Aching to touch
him, to bring my hands up to his face, I resist, again not wanting to break the
spell. He parts my lips with his tongue and I whimper in need in spite of
myself as he moves it against mine. Still so slowly, I want to cry. I want to
grab him and never let go. I want this kiss to last forever. But I don't move a
muscle, not wanting to frighten him off. With a soft, desperate “uh” noise into
my mouth, he deepens the kiss moving closer to me, his hand hovering over me to
touch me. Unable to help myself any longer I touch his face and slide my hand
around the back of his head pulling his mouth closer to mine. His hand swoops
down then onto my breast, kneading me and pulling my nipple into a hard, aching
point.
