Unafraid (11 page)

In that moment when he should’ve been feeling
remorse, Griffin’s chest burned with jealousy. His friend had what
he hadn’t known he wanted until Tessa. How could Mason know this
kind of love and still want to deny Griffin the same connection?
Griffin knew why though. Tessa was human and that was unacceptable.
Even if he tried to bond himself to her, it might not work. He
could be forever linked to a human who could leave him and never
look back if the blood bond didn’t take. Even if the bond did take
it was a huge risk that would end his life in the Vampire Nation,
as well as leaving the House of Vaughn with no one to fill his seat
on the Council if they refused to accept his human mate. It would
be a disaster for his family.

Griffin backed out of the room without a
word. Watching the couple hold onto each other so tightly in
wordless comfort made him feel like an interloper. He would
apologize to Debbie another time. For now he would go home, to his
real home in the vampire owned building he had occupied for the
past five years and lick his wounds. He doubted he would ever
return to the hastily bought condo he had invested in so he could
be with Tessa. Whether she believed it or not, he loved her. The
condo hadn’t been a place to hide her until he was finished with
her. He’d bought it to keep her safe under his roof in the kind of
home she deserved until he could find a way to get out of his
bonding to Sarah.

His intentions didn’t matter anymore. The
futility of the situation wore him out emotionally and mentally. He
couldn’t find even one example of a couple successfully breaking a
bond prearranged by their families. He had consulted lawyers and
combed through every reference book pertaining to bonding law and
the validity of arranged bonds he could find in the Council Hall’s
vast library. Even if he found a way out, he would still lose
everything for choosing a human. It was hopeless and Griffin was
sick to death from thinking about it.

* * *

Griffin returned to the structure and flow
that was his life. He had a business to run, employees to support
and his duties as a fledgling Councilman to keep him busy during
the day. His parents were pleased to see him return to his normal
routine and the days went by slowly.

He hunted when it was absolutely necessary,
but he took no pleasure in the act. No one tasted like his Tessa.
Her blood was sweet and satisfying while running down his throat.
When he fed from Tessa it would sustain him for days longer than it
should. He believed her supernatural sight somehow made her blood
stronger, richer with the nutrients he needed to survive. He knew
he would never again have the honor of burying himself between her
legs while he suckled the slender column of her neck.

There had been several social events he’d
been required to attend but Griffin just couldn’t dig up the
interest he used to have for rubbing elbows with his peers or
admiring the lovely ladies in attendance. He’d escorted Delphina to
the gatherings because his mother insisted he come with a date.
Delphina was angry that he didn’t pay her the attention he always
had in the past. He wasn’t sure how he’d missed her aspiration to
be his mate in the past. She’d hid it well. Now she’d convinced
herself that he was only trying to protect her from heartbreak when
his inevitable bonding arrived. It seemed he wasn’t the only one
trying to find a way to release him from his obligation.

Griffin hadn’t taken another woman to his bed
and he simply couldn’t imagine a time that anyone but Tessa would
feel right in his arms. He dreaded the nights. He tried going back
to his home but every night he ended up in the space he’d shared
with Tessa. The place still smelled faintly of vanilla and woman,
particularly in the bedroom. It was torture being there without
Tessa but he couldn’t make himself leave. It was his last link to
her and he was not looking forward to the day her scent completely
faded away.

He’d lay in the bed he’d shared with Tessa;
replaying all the ways they had loved each other in his mind. He
couldn’t understand how a person who had been in his life for such
a short time could rip him apart this way. His thoughts drifted
from lovemaking to quiet moments shared in front of the fire while
she read a book and he worked. When he came home in the evenings,
she would be waiting with a hot meal and tons of pent up energy
after being home alone all day. There was way more to the time
they’d spent together than hot sex. It was a real relationship and
he missed her deeply. He loved her more than he could ever imagine
loving another being, human or vampire.

He kept coming back to a conversation he’d
had with Delphina and a tempting thought took root in his mind,
refusing to be plucked. Delphina suggested they be bonded without
telling their families first. You can only be bonded to one person
at a time. Once it’s done it’s done. If he made her his mate, Sarah
and her family would be shit out of luck. Delphina acted as if it
would be a sacrifice for her to forgo a big bonding ceremony, but
Griffin knew her family would be overjoyed. His family, on the
other hand, would be disgraced and likely owe a great deal of money
to Sarah’s parents for breach of contract.

Griffin tried to remind himself that once he
was bonded to Sarah this pain would end. He should call his parents
and ask to be bonded to Sarah immediately. The thought of spending
the rest of his life without Tessa burned a hole through his
chest.

Tessa was out there tonight alone. Griffin
knew she’d gone back to work at the restaurant because he’d driven
by a time or two and seen her working inside. That Italian asshole
who owned the joint wanted her badly. Sebastian couldn’t have Tessa
because she was Griffin’s future mate. He was going to get her back
and keep her this time.

You could only be bonded to one person at a
time. Griffin had a lot of money to pay for whatever fine would be
handed down by the Council for his breach of contract. He smiled to
himself and crawled out of bed. Sarah deserved better than a
vampire who only wanted another woman. Griffin deserved to live his
life and love who he wished, even if she was human.

* * *

Tessa left Bella Notte at the end of her
shift and was surprised to find Mason waiting outside. She did not
want to deal with his holier-than-thou vampire ass. The agony of
losing Griffin was still too fresh in her heart and mind. She
walked past as if he wasn’t there, but he followed. A terrifying
thought came to her and her heart started to pound. What if Mason
had changed his mind about keeping her a secret to protect his
friend’s reputation? What if he had come to take her to the
Council? She picked up the pace. It was stupid because she would
never be able to out run a vampire, but the fight or flight
instinct made her do crazy shit.

A hand reached to grasp her shoulder and she
struggled out of his hold and began to run. Mason quickly caught
her and spun her around. He looked confused and annoyed until he
saw the stark fear on her face.

“Tessa, why you are you frightened? I would
never hurt you.” He pulled her to his chest and held her tight
until she stopped struggling. “I’m sorry I scared you. I only came
to see how you’re doing,” he whispered against her hair. He set her
back on her feet but held onto her shoulders.

“I came to talk to you about Griffin.” He
licked his lips and took a deep breath, looking embarrassed. “I
know it doesn’t really matter and won’t change the situation, but I
know now that I was wrong about Griffin’s motives where you were
concerned.”

“You’re right, Mason, his motives don’t
matter. The end result would have been the same. Griffin will have
a mate and she won’t be me.” Tessa tried to pull away but he held
on.

She knew she should be grateful to him for
telling her the truth about Griffin. She should also thank her
lucky human stars that he hadn’t reported her to the almighty
vampire Council. As irrational as she knew it was, Tessa blamed
Mason for ruining the little piece of heaven she had with Griffin.
It wasn’t perfect, but she loved him and the time they spent
together was the best time of her life.

“I don’t blame you for disliking me. Will it
make you feel better to know that Griffin kicked my ass for
interfering with his relationship with you?” Actually that did make
her feel a bit better. “He isn’t the same vamp, Tessa. Losing you
has changed him for the worse. He’s hurting too. I just wanted you
to know that he hadn’t lied to you. Whether you can be together or
not, he does love you and you were the only female in his life when
he was with you.” He sighed. “I’ll let you go now.”

A roar that sounded more animal that man
sounded from behind Mason. She peered around him to see Griffin in
a full rage, black eyes and fangs on a public street, bearing down
on them.

“Get your hands off my female.” Griffin
grabbed Mason and slammed him against a brick storefront. “Haven’t
you hurt her enough?” He snarled in Mason’s face.

Tessa turned and ran. She couldn’t handle
seeing Griffin again. The memory of his voice kept her up at night.
When she slept, she always dreamt of his face. He would lean over
her and kiss her tenderly. He would tell her she was his only love,
his mate for all time. Then she would wake up. Seeing him now
opened the festering wound in her heart even wider. She ran down
the alley where she’d met him what felt like so long ago. She just
needed to get home and hide from the madness that had descended on
her already screwed up life.

She reached the other end of the alley before
she stopped in her tracks. A tall, lean, murderous looking woman
stood blocking Tessa’s exit at the mouth of the alley. Only she
wasn’t just a woman. She was a vampire. Her long, dark auburn hair
fell in waves around a face that currently sported unnatural
looking obsidian eyes and long, pearly white fangs. She stepped
forward and Tessa stepped back.

“I can’t believe it!” she hissed and sniffed
the air. “I knew if I followed him long enough I’d figure out what
or who was holding Griffin’s attention. I just can’t believe it’s a
human!” She stalked forward and Tessa continued to back away.
Turning her back on the livid vampire was a bad idea.

“What do you want?” Tessa asked. She was sure
the vampire hadn’t stopped her to compare notes on Griffin. This
had to be Griffin’s future mate, Sarah. Who else would be following
him?

“What do I want?” She stopped and tapped her
chin contemplatively. “You see, I want a lot of things. That’s why
I need Griffin. I’ve waited a long ass time and put up with his
alley catting ways to get to where I am now. I’ll be damned if some
filthy little human tramp is going to ruin it all now!”

“Are you Sarah?” Tessa asked. If this was the
woman Griffin would be forced to wed she could understand his
desperation to get out of the arrangement. The woman cackled and
the sound sent a chill down her spine.

“Sarah is a weak little girl. She is a
pathetic female who is tucked safely away until the day she becomes
Griffin’s mate. Her parents sold her to the House of Vaughn as soon
as she was born. You see, they wanted to solidify an alliance with
the Council. Her parents were smarter than mine. My fool parents
thought they had time to approach Adele and Lloyd Vaughn. They
didn’t. Now it’s up to me secure our family’s position by drawing
Griffin away from his soon-to-be mate. That has been taken care of,
but you’re in my way, little human trash.” She reached out and
grabbed Tessa by the throat.

Tessa struggled. The vampire’s grip was like
steel. “You will stay away from Griffin Vaughn. You don’t want him
anymore. You will tell him to leave you alone.” Tessa felt the
mental push of compulsion the vampire tried to exert on her, but it
didn’t work.

“Go to hell, bitch! I don’t take orders!”
Tessa choked out. It was stupid. She should have pretended to obey
and given herself a chance to walk away, but she was angry and too
emotionally exhausted to be afraid. She would live what was left of
her life unafraid of what others thought of her. She was not evil
because she was clairvoyant. She was not unworthy because she was
human and she would not cower in the face of those who sought to
hurt her.

A familiar look of confusion she’d seen on
the faces of Griffin and Mason when they tried to put the vampire
whammy on her washed over the woman’s face. Up this close Tessa
could see just how beautiful her vampire assailant was. She tried
again, but without words, to reach into Tessa’s mind, but came up
empty. Tessa did the only thing a sensible human could do after
foiling a vampire’s dastardly plan. She coughed out a whizzing
laugh in the bitch’s face.

The beautiful but clearly deranged woman
shook her head sadly. “You see now. I didn’t want to have to do
this but he has left me no choice.” She lifted Tessa by her
throat.

“Delphina!” Griffin’s bellow startled them
both and she dropped Tessa back to her feet.

Tessa looked down the alley to see both
Griffin and Mason moving in that freaky vampire fast forward way
they had and the moment of inattention cost her. Delphina spun
around and put one very well placed kick to Tessa’s chest. Griffin
howled. The impact sent Tessa airborne to strike the opposite wall.
Her head struck with a sickening thud and blinding colors exploded,
clouding her vision before she fell to the ground. The sound of
retreating footfalls competed with the approaching ones to further
rattle her brain.

Someone lifted her from the dirty pavement
and she knew it was Griffin by the way he held her, like she was
precious and fragile. “I’ll take care of Delphina,” she heard Mason
say as his pounding boots continued down the alley.

“Tessa, baby, open your eyes for me!” Griffin
was shouting and the pain echoed around her head. Her chest was on
fire and breathing was becoming increasingly painful.