Rise of the Fae (35 page)

Over the following evening, a dozen new trackers had arrived at Coven House and two dozen more were expected to arrive within the next two days. Word of the attacks was spreading like rapid fire. Danika’s phone had been ringing so much that Selene had even taken to helping answer the calls and taking messages. The consensus was the same. Everyone was scared.

Danika had sent word to the High Council, but she had yet to hear back from them. All they could do now was prepare and wait.

Selene looked in the mirror at her green-purple eyes. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she could be made whole. But Neeman had done that for her.

She fiddled with the cream silk, which draped over her shoulder.

“You look beautiful, my dear,” said Sherman.

Selene smiled. The older Vampire had returned to help out, after healing.

“Thank you,” she replied.

“I must tell you. Had I known what you truly were, I would have had a harder time letting you go.”

She laughed. “Oh trust me, as soon as you’d met my other half, you would have begged Neeman to take me back.”

He snapped his fingers. “I almost forgot. You left this at the hotel.” Sherman pulled her suitcase from behind the door and set it on her bed.

“Thank you. I was beginning to think I’d never wear the same outfit more than once.”

Sherman looked at his watch. “We should go down.”

She nodded, her gut clenching. She stepped up to Sherman and took his arm. Together they proceeded down to the landing where Mason stood in a pair of pinstriped suit pants, a white shirt, and a black vest. He looked dashing, and uncomfortable.

Sherman handed her off to Mason and then bowed and headed down to the atrium.

“You look amazing,” Mason said.

“I bet you never thought you’d see this day.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Me neither.”

He held out his arm for her to take.

“You clean up pretty good yourself, bro.”

“That’s all Danika’s doing.”

“Amazing how this new race really is trying to better this world,” she said as they descended the stairs.

“I just hope we don’t end up destroying it.”

She squeezed his arm. “Me, too.”

Mason stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Do you love him?”

“What?”

“I want to make sure you love him.”

“Come on, Mason. I have these beautiful runes now because of him, what do you think that means?”

“I think it means he loves you.”

She tried to keep her voice level. “Yes, Mason. I love him.”

“Good,” he said. “Because above all else, I want you to be happy.”

Her heart squeezed. “I am happy. For the first time…I am truly happy.”

“Then let’s go get you hitched.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Oh and Maelstrom wants you to know that if he breaks your heart, we’re going to kill him.”

Selene laughed. Brothers.

* * * *

Selene stood in the middle of the atrium, her hands in Neeman’s. Once again, he wore a dark suit, which made her knees feel like gelatin. He’d slicked back his hair and trimmed his scruff into a sexy goatee.

Sherman presided over the ceremony as the rest of the coven looked on. Danika, William, and Mason stood alongside the blond Vampire pair who proudly held their beautiful new bundle of joy.

For a moment, Selene looked around and wished her mother was there. But the feeling left her as quickly as it had come. Being there with Neeman and Mason, Danika and William, she realized she’d finally found what she’d been searching for her whole life. Family. And she’d be damned if she’d let anyone take that away from her.

“You are now mated as husband and wife,” pronounced Sherman. “You may kiss your bride.”

Happiness she’d never felt burst through her and Selene jumped into Neeman’s arms, tackling him with her lips. All around chuckles and applause rang out. Neeman laughed and when they broke apart, she saw a sight that warmed her entire being. He smiled at her so broadly it revealed a dimple on his left cheek.

He pulled her close. “You’re mine,” he whispered.

“Now and forever,” she replied.

Rebekah R. Ganiere
has always been a creative soul and a prolific writer. Her debut novel,
Dead Awakenings,
was a bestseller, and
she is also the author of the bestselling award-winning Farielle series. She is currently working on the third book in her trilogy, The Society.

Rebekah is the VP of Communications of the Los Angeles Chapter of RWA as well as the newsletter editor for the FF&P Chapter. When she isn't busy writing, you can find her moderating or teaching on SavvyAuthors.com or hanging out with her husband, four children and her English Bulldog, rabbit, two bearded dragons, and two tortoises. The escaped snake has yet to be found.

Readers can visit her website at
www.RebekahGaniere.com
, find her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter: VampWereZombie.

Keep reading for a special sneak peek of the final book in The Society trilogy:

VENGEANCE OF THE DEMONS

Their society faces extinction...

Not long ago, William was a human held captive by the ruling Vampires, until an accident forced his master to save his life. Now, William is a vampyr, and everything has changed. The demons are coming and the Vampire Society where William has finally made a home isn’t strong enough to save what is left of the world. They’ll need help from the few remaining humans to survive.

Evan has spent the last two years trying to get her fellow human slaves to rise up against their Vampire captors, determined to be free of the masters she has come to despise. When William comes to her with an idea to save them all, she’ll need to see past her hatred to the man he really is, or let him be killed for the monster he appears to be.

A Lyrical e-book on sale May 2016.

Learn more about Rebekah at
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31634

William took another deep draw from Sue’s neck as his body shook with the strain of holding back his climax. The soft throaty moans she uttered, along with how deep her nails stung his skin, told him that she was almost there herself.

Her thick rich blood slid down his throat and tingled his limbs with energy.

“William.” She panted his name the same way she had every time she was about to reach fulfillment. Over the last year of using Sue for a blood servant, he’d been able to explore every last fantasy he’d spent his life dreaming of but never fulfilling.

Her breathing quickened and she sucked in a sharp breath. He pumped into her, disengaging his fangs the moment his body wound tight as a wet rope and then exploded. He rocked himself through his finish and waited for hers to subside before licking her neck wound shut and rolling off of her. They lay side by side in his bed, both catching their breath.

She laughed. “Wow, that was a quick one.”

He traced his hand over the flat of her stomach. “Sorry. It’s been a while.” It was a lie. The truth was envisioning her as someone else had excited him in ways he’d never imagined.

She lifted his hand, kissing it. “I’m not complaining. I never was very patient.”

He sat up, picked up his watch and wrapped it around his wrist. A nice watch was something he never would have been able to afford before being bitten by Danika and becoming a vampyr.

Behind him Sue slipped out of bed and pulled on her clothes.

“So have you given any thought to what I said before?” she asked.

William’s gut clenched and he forced his voice to stay passive. “Yes, I have. And I’ve told you. I’m a fledgling. I’m not old enough to have a human of my own yet.”

“William, you practically run this coven next to Danika and Mason, you could do whatever the hell you want.”

She was right. But she was also not the one.

“We have fun. That’s all this can be.” He turned to her. “If that isn’t what you want, I completely understand and respect that. You are welcome to find a different member of the society to be with.”

She stared at him for a moment and then sighed and shook her head. She climbed back onto the bed and leaned over to him. Her mousy brown hair hung haphazardly around her face, a testament to their most recent intimacies.

“You know what your problem is?”

He shook his head. “Tell me.”

“You’re too nice. I’ve never met a guy who was as nice as you before. Not pureblooded Vampire, or a bitten vampyr. Not even those mutated vamps or stupid human men are as nice as you. You’d think that with the vamps and humans being lowest on the totem pole that they’d be the nicest people ever. But nope. It’s you.”

“Well, I hope that whomever you end up with, they are much nicer than I,” he replied. If she even had a clue that every time for the past two months that they had been together he’d been envisioning her as someone else… No. He wasn’t as nice as she thought.

He pulled on his black wool slacks and azure silk sweater. The soft texture of the sweater slid against his skin, reminding him of its quality. Then he ran his fingers through his hair and stepped into his loafers.

“Come on. I’ll walk you back to the barracks.” He plucked one of Sue’s hairs from his pants and carried it to the trashcan.

She nodded and moved to the door, pulling it open. He held it for her, and they both proceeded into the hallway. Voices could be heard from all over Coven House. They continued onto the landing and down the stairs to the grand foyer.

A bustle of humans replaced dead flowers with fresh ones in the vases, swept the white marble floor and vacuumed the carpet.

Selene and Neeman stood talking to Sinya and Lance. Selene cooed over their new baby. It was still strange to see Lance wearing a baby carrier and Neeman with a smile on his face. Things were changing in the house. Most were for the better.

He caught Selene’s eye and she walked over. “Hey.”

William motioned for Sue to continue into the kitchen. “Evening, Selene.”

She lowered her voice. “We still haven’t found the rift, but we’re getting closer.”

“Good.” If they didn’t find the rift soon, all hell was going to break loose on Chicago. The demon attacks were taking their toll and it was only a matter of time before a vamp saw what was going on and the news spread. They’d been able to maintain the quarantine area surrounding the location of the rift. For now.

“Have there been any demon sightings tonight?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Let me get Sue back to the barracks and then we can all sit down and debrief before sun up.”

Selene nodded and walked back to Neeman, slipping her hand in his back pocket.

William turned and ushered Sue to the back door. They’d just stepped out into the fresh night air when his stomach clenched.

A strong, blond-haired beauty with peachy skin and eyes like aquamarines strolled out of the barracks. She spotted them and he cleared his throat.

“Well, well, what have we here?” asked Evan.

“Good evening, Evan.” Just looking at her made his throat dry like instant paint. Memories of how moments before he’d been envisioning Sue as her, made his skin prickle.

“Midnight snack at the local concession stand?” asked Evan.

“Shut up. You’re just jealous.” Sue walked past Evan.

“Jealous? That you let a bloodsucker drain you and have his way with you? I think not, bloodwhore.”

“Stuck up redneck. If you hate it here so much, do us all a favor and leave. Nothing’s keeping you here. Lord Danika said any of us that wanted to leave could. So do it. Go.” Sue pointed to the gate.

“That’s enough.” William strode forward. “Sue, you go inside. I need to have a word with Evan.”

Sue rolled her eyes and stormed into the barracks.

Evan put on a falsely jovial smile. “Oh yippee, it is time for my ‘be a good girl’ speech again from the big powerful Vampire? I swear William you’re like a broken record.”

“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not a pureblooded Vampire? I was bitten. That makes me a vampyr. Meaning I used to be a human.” He grabbed her by the arm. “Come on.”

“Dude, let go of me.” She ripped from his grasp. “What? Did you mix me up with Sue? See, I’m the pretty blonde and she’s the plain brunette.”

William clenched his jaw several times. “You shouldn’t talk about her that way.”

“Why, because she’s your lovermuffin?
Vampyr
.”

“No, because she’s a nice person.”

“Oooooh, right. The world’s just full of nice people now, isn’t it?”

This wasn’t going the way he had planned. He’d rehearsed this. All he’d wanted was to have a nice civil conversation with her about helping them. But talking to Evan was like talking to a whirlwind, all lashing out and blustery, leaving nothing but destruction in her wake. Why had he told everyone that this was a good idea?

He blew out a heavy breath as she raked him up and down.

“I need to speak to you. Can we please go up to your room?”

“Are you joking? No way. I’m not like your blood buddy, Sue.”

“Fine, then we can go to my room?”

“Are you out of your gourd? Dude, I wouldn’t be caught dead being seen walking into your bedroom.”

Her anger was contagious and William took a deep breath to keep from exploding on her. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so mean all the time?”

Her jaw dropped. “Me? I’m not the one holding people here against their will.”

“No one is a prisoner here. You know that. But if we just let you go, you’d be picked up by slavers for sure.”

She shrugged. “I can handle myself.”

He chuckled. “You think you can, but you have no idea.”

“Oh really? And I bet you’re so tough. How many slavers have you killed in your fine silk sweater and your shiny expensive loafers?”

The memory of plunging a knife deep into the neck of a slaver who’d injured Mason raced through his memory. It had been a recurring nightmare of his over the last year.