This creature has ruined our lives. She has poisoned our brother’s mind, and I’ll not rest until she pays for what she’s done.”
Ivana cleared her throat. “From what Leo has told me, it seems your life has never been better. There are not many men who can claim to have found their one true mate.” She sounded confident even though she was shaking at his side. “The gentleman I met in the mausoleum was blind to the beauty of love.”
Elliot lunged forward, and they all gasped. “Do not dare speak to me of such things. What would you know of it? Because of you, I must watch helplessly as the woman I love slowly fades away from me with each passing year. I will never forgive you for that.” Taking a deep breath, he said, “Move aside, Leo.”
“If you will only listen to what she has to say,” Leo pleaded, “as I have done. I have witnessed things that have made me alter my views about what happened here.”
Elliot raised the sword an inch higher. “Nothing anyone could say or do would make me change my opinion. Nothing could eradicate the four years of agony. What’s worse is she has changed you again. The man I know would never betray the brotherhood. The man I know would not degrade himself by bedding the woman we all despise.”
“I am a changed man,” Leo acknowledged. “I am not the same man I was before I came back here. But you need to know why, Elliot.”
“I’ll give you one more chance to move.”
Leo swallowed. He could feel the roaring flames of anger burning in Elliot’s chest. But he sensed his friend’s pain, too. Casting doubt over everything they had believed to be true was bound to cause emotions to flare. It was unsettling, unnerving and Elliot was scared.
“I cannot move, Elliot,” he said with a heavy heart. “You will have to kill us both.” He turned to Ivana, ignored the fact two men loomed over the bed. “I believe in you,” he said stroking her cheek. A smile touched his lips when he noticed the trickle of dried blood on her neck. She had tasted divine. Their joining had been everything she’d promised it would be, and more. “I understand your motives. If I must die, I will die here with you.”
She covered his hand and smiled. “It is how it was always meant to be. We should never have been apart. I should have been stronger. I should have fought for us.”
“It doesn’t matter now. We have found each other again.” He turned to Elliot. “I appreciate the effort it took for you both to come and find me. I would never have wanted to tear you away from the women you love. But if this is the end, then so be it.”
It was as though the whole room stood suspended in a moment of frozen stasis: no one moved, no one spoke, no one dared to breathe. The air felt stale and stagnant.
After what seemed like an hour, Elliot threw the sword to the floor, the clattering sound echoing through the chamber. “You have made your choice,” he said before turning on his heels and storming out through the doorway.
Alexander stared at them, his expression solemn, grave. “Is this truly what you want?”
Leo didn’t want to side against his brothers, but he hoped they would understand given time. “It is.”
“You choose to be with her?” he asked somewhat incredulously.
“I do.”
“It will be hard for Elliot to accept it.” Alexander swallowed audibly and focused his attention on Ivana. “Do not mistake my calm countenance for approval. I want to kill you with my bare hands for what you’ve done to me. But I recognise the truth in your words. The man I used to be was not capable of love. Sometimes we must experience our darkest nightmares for us to appreciate the beauty of our dreams.”
“You too have found love then,” Ivana said with a look of wonder. “It is a precious gift to be treasured. In time, you might come to understand why I had no choice but to hurt you.”
“Elliot’s experience in the mausoleum still haunts him, though he suppresses
Ivana cleared her throat. “From what Leo has told me, it seems your life has never been better. There are not many men who can claim to have found their one true mate.” She sounded confident even though she was shaking at his side. “The gentleman I met in the mausoleum was blind to the beauty of love.”
Elliot lunged forward, and they all gasped. “Do not dare speak to me of such things. What would you know of it? Because of you, I must watch helplessly as the woman I love slowly fades away from me with each passing year. I will never forgive you for that.” Taking a deep breath, he said, “Move aside, Leo.”
“If you will only listen to what she has to say,” Leo pleaded, “as I have done. I have witnessed things that have made me alter my views about what happened here.”
Elliot raised the sword an inch higher. “Nothing anyone could say or do would make me change my opinion. Nothing could eradicate the four years of agony. What’s worse is she has changed you again. The man I know would never betray the brotherhood. The man I know would not degrade himself by bedding the woman we all despise.”
“I am a changed man,” Leo acknowledged. “I am not the same man I was before I came back here. But you need to know why, Elliot.”
“I’ll give you one more chance to move.”
Leo swallowed. He could feel the roaring flames of anger burning in Elliot’s chest. But he sensed his friend’s pain, too. Casting doubt over everything they had believed to be true was bound to cause emotions to flare. It was unsettling, unnerving and Elliot was scared.
“I cannot move, Elliot,” he said with a heavy heart. “You will have to kill us both.” He turned to Ivana, ignored the fact two men loomed over the bed. “I believe in you,” he said stroking her cheek. A smile touched his lips when he noticed the trickle of dried blood on her neck. She had tasted divine. Their joining had been everything she’d promised it would be, and more. “I understand your motives. If I must die, I will die here with you.”
She covered his hand and smiled. “It is how it was always meant to be. We should never have been apart. I should have been stronger. I should have fought for us.”
“It doesn’t matter now. We have found each other again.” He turned to Elliot. “I appreciate the effort it took for you both to come and find me. I would never have wanted to tear you away from the women you love. But if this is the end, then so be it.”
It was as though the whole room stood suspended in a moment of frozen stasis: no one moved, no one spoke, no one dared to breathe. The air felt stale and stagnant.
After what seemed like an hour, Elliot threw the sword to the floor, the clattering sound echoing through the chamber. “You have made your choice,” he said before turning on his heels and storming out through the doorway.
Alexander stared at them, his expression solemn, grave. “Is this truly what you want?”
Leo didn’t want to side against his brothers, but he hoped they would understand given time. “It is.”
“You choose to be with her?” he asked somewhat incredulously.
“I do.”
“It will be hard for Elliot to accept it.” Alexander swallowed audibly and focused his attention on Ivana. “Do not mistake my calm countenance for approval. I want to kill you with my bare hands for what you’ve done to me. But I recognise the truth in your words. The man I used to be was not capable of love. Sometimes we must experience our darkest nightmares for us to appreciate the beauty of our dreams.”
“You too have found love then,” Ivana said with a look of wonder. “It is a precious gift to be treasured. In time, you might come to understand why I had no choice but to hurt you.”
“Elliot’s experience in the mausoleum still haunts him, though he suppresses
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