Choices (The Forever series, Book Four) (4 page)

"Oh, a sadistic bastard are you? Too bad not much hurts
our girl, and I'm not into trying."

"Neither am I," CK says quietly but I can see the
wheels turning in his head as he has come up with an idea and all he needs now
is a willing accomplice.

Pushing the robe off my shoulders, Lincoln drags it off me
and discards it. "Well, seeing as I have warmed her up for you, what are
you going to let me do?"

"I can assure you I don't need assistance when it comes
to that."

"No, I don't suppose you do. Especially when it comes
to this vixen."

"Erm," I interject now, "I am still here, you
know."

"Yes, Aefre, we are quite aware of your presence."

"Then don't speak of me as if I am not here."

"What would you like us to do about this impasse?"
he inquires softly and Lincoln focuses on me as I deliberate.

"That's a dangerous question," I say seductively
as CK trails his hand over my thigh.

"Do you want us both?" Lincoln asks.

"Yes," I murmur, thoroughly enjoying this
negotiation.

"How about us both together? No need to take
turns," CK says and slips two fingers inside me and I squirm in pleasure,
much to the enjoyment of Lincoln as I move against him again. Lincoln brings
his fingers around to my clit to play with me while CK pulses in and out and he
whispers in my ear, "How about it, baby? Can you handle both of us at the
same time?"

Holy fuck, yes. "Oh, yes," I moan as a double rush
of pleasure rips through me and they both groan in response as they feel it.

"Fuck, Liv. You are driving me wild," Lincoln
breathes before he does a partial Shift and clamps his mouth full of sharp
teeth into my neck.

Hoping that CK is well and truly over his snit as Lincoln
slowly bites me, I find that he is as he Shifts as well and bites down on my
wrist to feed from me.

"Oh god!" I cry out as the feeling of having both
of sets of fangs in me is intoxicating. Lincoln isn’t feeding from me, although
we did exchange blood during the Pairing that made me his Alpha, but his bite
is sharp and sweet and leaves trickles of blood rolling down my chest, that CK
laps up as he pulls back from my wrist.

Pulling back Lincoln asks, "Where do you want us?"

Oh everywhere, I think blindly.

"Hm, is this a private party or can anyone join
in?" comes a lightly accented voice from by the fireplace asks.

"What the fuck?" I say as I open my eyes in
surprise. "Who the fuck are you?" I yell, trying to cover up my bits.
Not normally shy about nudity, it's somewhat different when you are caught
inflagrante
by a complete stranger.

Lincoln grabs my robe and pulls it over me and I clutch it
to me as I stand.

"Why are the wards not up?" I yell of no one in
particular as I magick on some clothes.

"They are," Lincoln says as CK stands with a sigh.

"He can get through. He's family. Sebastian. It's been
a while."

"Hello, Constantine. It has indeed. Paris too far for
you to travel? Or have you been kept occupied by this lovely thing for the last
several years?"

"That would be your Queen, Sebastian. Watch your
tone."

"Ah, so you are the new Queen. Liv, isn't it? Or do you
prefer Aefre?"

Who cares, I have that many versions of my name flying
about, I don't really mind.

"Liv will suffice," he says and bows his head.

"It is a pleasure. Sorry it has taken me so long to
make your acquaintance, I was held up somewhat."

"No worries. I assume you are another one of CK's B.C.
boys, seeing as you Teleported in?" I say, referring to the ability that
only seems to appear to Vampires after a good two thousand years or more. Not
to be confused, of course, with my own Astralling ability that is part of my
Dragon Power package and nothing to do with my Vampire self.

"CK's B.C. boys?" he asks, confused, and CK looks
at me, amused.

"Is that what you call them? I quite like it," he
chuckles.

I throw a laugh back at him.

"I still don't get it," Sebastian says and frowns.

"It doesn't matter. Fact is you Teleported into my
living room, trying to find our sire and in the process interrupted a rather
important bonding session," I huff at him.

"Bonding session? He's not one of ours," Sebastian
sneers at Lincoln who gets his hackles up.

"He is one of mine," I snap at him and he has the
grace to look contrite at my evident defense.

"Well don't let me interrupt you. Please go back to
your bonding. I'll wait," he says with a slight leer.

"Humph, you wish," I huff at him rudely and he
raises his eyebrow at me.

"It has been a while since my sire and I shared a bite
to eat. Do you mind?" he asks as he steps closer, fangs dropping.

CK steps in front of me and holds his hand up. "Back
off Sebastian. She's not for sharing."

"Oh, now clearly that is not the case," he says
with a pointed look at Lincoln.

"He's different," he says shortly.

"You choose a wolf over your own charge? I am
wounded," he says sarcastically but retracts his fangs anyway.

"Her choice."

"Well, I have to say she is far more appealing in
person than you spoke of. No wonder you kept her from me. She is exactly my
type," he says eyeing me and I glare at him.

Taking the opportunity to eye him back anyway, he is
remarkable. Not really my type being blonde and green-eyed himself, but he is
about Lincoln's height, maybe a bit taller with a slender yet well-muscled
body.

Enjoying the lingering once-over I am giving him, he says,
"Seeing as our sire seems to have lost his manners, let me introduce
myself. I am Sebastian Gautier."

I chuckle at his comment that has made CK look like he is
about to blow a gasket, "Liv O'Dell."

"The pleasure is all mine. Or perhaps it is all yours.
If I remember correctly, Constantine knows how to please a woman."

CK growls low in his throat as I turn to him with a grimace.
"Yes, he sure does," I mutter, but move into his arms to trail a
long, black nail down his chest.

He looks smug at my actions and words. "Now if you
wouldn't mind, we would like to get back to our… bonding," I say.

"Like I said, I don’t mind waiting, although, I know a
thing or two myself on how to please a woman. I'll be happy to show you if you
like?" he asks me.

"That won't be necessary," CK says with a scowl.

"Well, this has been interesting, but would you mind
waiting upstairs?" I point my finger upward and he looks up.

"Upstairs?"

"My apartment is upstairs. You Teleported into Liv's,"
CK explains.

"Fine," he says. He picks up his bag and says to
CK, "I have what you were looking for."

CK's eyes flash and he nods, "I will be with you
shortly."

Sebastian Teleports out before I get the chance to tell him
to go via the door.

"What were you looking for?" I ask him curiously.

"Nothing for you to worry about," he says shortly.

"If it's to do with the Regency it is my
business," I remind him sternly.

"It's not. I do, however, need to go and deal with
this."

"But what about us?" I ask, a bit miffed off he's
leaving.

He glances at Lincoln. "Have your fun, my sweet, and
come back upstairs. Soon," he adds and Teleports back upstairs.

"Well that was unexpectedly frustrating," Lincoln
says coming up behind me. "I was quite looking forward to seeing where
that was headed."

"Mm, me too," I murmur as I turn in his arms and
he leans down to kiss me.

We hear the key in the door and pull apart and, ridiculously
expecting Devon, I step forward.

"Lincoln? Oh, Liv. What are you doing here?"
Scott, my assistant, asks in surprise.

"I live here," I snap, disappointed. "What
are you doing here?"

"Mr. Savant rang me this morning and asked me to
come," he says, closing the door.

"He rang you this morning?" I ask, confused how he
got here so quickly.

He looks at his watch and sees it is 3 AM. "Sorry, I
mean yesterday morning. I had a load of work to sort before I could
leave," he says and pushes his glasses up his nose and sweeps his dark
hair off his forehead in consternation, as he senses my anger.

I choke back a sob, "Yesterday morning?"

He nods warily, now picking up on my sorrow.

I look at Lincoln who looks at me with pity. "He
planned it. He didn't just go, he planned it. No wonder he wanted…" I put
my hand to my mouth remembering his words, “I want it all.”

"Is everything, okay?" Scott asks.

Pulling myself together I nod briskly. "Yes,
fine."

"I thought you'd be upstairs with Mr.
D'Arcangelo?" He points upstairs. Seems to be a thing now.

"Yes, I'm going back up in a minute. He's in a
meeting."

"Oh. Well, it's late. If you don't need me for
anything, Mr. Savant said I can use his room."

"Yes, that's fine, Scott. Good night."

"Good night." And off he goes into Devon's room.

I turn to Lincoln. "I guess I should…" I point and
he nods.

"I suppose. Don't want to push my luck just when things
seem to be getting better," he says, pulling me to him and kissing me.
"I am horny as hell though," he adds with a smile.

I smile back, "That makes two of us." And he
laughs. I head for the door out of habit and Lincoln says, "Back the way
you came, please."

"Shit. This is so confusing," I grumble but stop
as I see CK's phone on the coffee table where he left it. That is highly
unusual. He is very much like me with regard to his phone and always has it
with him. I hesitate, my hand hovering over it and I look at Lincoln guiltily
who raises his eyebrow at me and says, "V.A. Don't do it."

"I have to," I say quietly in case he can hear me
all the way from upstairs. I snatch it up and push the Home button. Passcode
locked, of course. Lincoln moves to stand over my shoulder, clearly intrigued.
What would it be? I vainly type in 1012 but it fails. I tap my thumb on it,
chewing on my lip. I won't get many more tries at this.

"Try it in Latin," Lincoln says helpfully. As it
turns out, Lincoln was a master of Latin at Oxford University at the turn of
the last century before he moved to America. Also funnily enough he came across
on the same boat as me and Devon, and we never even knew it until a
conversation about when he ventured to America came up. Call it fate, destiny,
whatever: we were bound to end up together.

I type in MXII and it unlocks. I smile up at him.

"I don't condone this, you know," he says in mock
sternness. I roll my eyes at him.

"Don't help then."

I look back at the phone and I am amazed to see a picture of
him and me on his wallpaper. It's an older picture, about two years I think. I
don't remember the photo being taken but it was clearly a posed picture as I am
grinning into the camera as he gazes down at me adoringly, our arms wrapped
around each other. I remember the dress I was wearing. In fact, I think it is
still at his penthouse in Milan. We were at the only one of his many charitable
foundation fundraisers that he attends, in Milan. Quite the philanthropist, my sire.
It's a perfect photo. I can see why he likes it but wonder why this one. Surely
there is a newer one of us he could use? But no, there isn't. I have been
snapped with Cole, Devon, Lincoln, and even Scott and I got our picture in the
tabloids once. But I haven't been anywhere in public with Constantine, probably
since this photo was taken, except for La Scala last June but even then I don't
think there were any pictures taken of him as he is master at dodging the
press. It's all been secret rendezvous for us, in castles and mansions and
hotel rooms. I must rectify that, I think.

"You look beautiful," Lincoln compliments me.
"I'm surprised he has it on there though after… everything."

"Me too." My thumb hovers over the Phone icon and
I push it, followed quickly by Recent Calls.

"Liv, what exactly are you looking for?"

"I want to know how many others there are," I say,
tugging absently at the collar.

"Why don't you just ask him?"

"I tried once but I backed down and he didn't offer
up."

The list of recent calls is as long as my own. Marguerite
has (101) next to her name and that worries me. I never did find out what he is
hiding behind his wards at
Ponte
.

"Who is Marguerite?" Lincoln asks.

"His castle keeper," I say.

"Castle keeper?"

"Well it's not exactly a house," I point out and
he chuckles.

There are hundreds of names, most of them Italian, both male
and I gulp, female. I shudder to see that I am listed under Liv. Arsehole. But
then clear my throat as I remember changing his from CK to Constantine one
night in a fit of temper.

"Well it doesn't really tell you much. Look in his
calendar," Lincoln says, now fully engrossed in this horrendously invasive
snooping expedition.

I do as bid but it's all just lists of business meetings and
I note with disgust that “Liv” has been allotted her times yesterday through to
tomorrow.

"I'm just going to ask," I say eventually and back
out of the apps and push the lock button.  I wipe the screen on my dress to
erase any trail of my snooping.

"What about me?" Lincoln asks innocently.

"What about you?"

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Do you want me to?"

"If you like. I have nothing to hide," he says
with a sly smile.

"Do you have any others?" I ask him sweetly.

"No, just you. I have told you this before, Liv. A wolf
mates for life. Your extracurricular activities are your own business but I
only want you."

"For now," I impress on him. "You will have
to be with another Shifter, another wolf, when you want to have kids. I can’t
give that to you, sweetie. In spite of my Dragon heritage, I am still a
Vampire."