his thoughts.
Bluidy hell, woman! Ye are a stubborn creature. But ye will see things differently when the thirst comes upon ye.
He laughed his reply, infuriating Paige further.
“ You’re a pompous man, Cael Maccinnis!” she announced to no one aside from herself.
The empty room absorbed her words without acknowledgment. Paige hugged herself, a sense of defeat creeping into her soul. A new thought broke into her brooding. Cael had said thirst would come on her. She shivered, knowing exactly what he’d been talking about. But the way he said it made her question if the little she’d experienced was only the beginning.
*
Harry and Jael scurried from the path of the plane as it hurled across the room.
“ No one defies Fate!” Charity yelled, face red with fury. “She’s mine!”
“ What happened, Charity?” Jael’s young voice questioned.
“ He’s not playing right! That’s what! Paige isn’t on the plane. Her Fate belongs to me, and he just took her away when it was finally my turn to play. It’s not fair!”
She turned, looking hard at Jael.
“ Did you show him the whole thing, Jael?”
Jael shifted uncomfortably in her dress. Charity was angry.
“ Tell me the truth, Jael,” Charity cooed. “I won’t be mad, I promise.”
“ Well, sort of…”
“ Sort of?” Charity led her on, determined to know.
“ I didn’t want her to go on the plane, Charity!” Jael sobbed, breaking quickly under her sister’s knowing eyes. “I was afraid you’d send her to the Netherworld, so I made up the last part myself.”
“ Send who to the Netherworld?” Charity asked, confused for a minute by her sister’s confession.
“ Paige Kinnell,” Jael cried, hugging her sister tightly. “I like her, Charity.”
“ Paige Kinnell?” Charity laughed, wrapping her sister in her arms, a comforting gesture. “That’s beside the point, Jael. Cael Maccinnis ruined my plans, and now he shall pay for it.”
Charity paced the floor, abandoning her contrite sister to Harry’s shoulder. When her eyes lit anew, both siblings waited expectantly for her decision.
“ I know,” Charity smiled at them. “We’ll make it a game! Wouldn’t you like to play another game?”
Jael clapped her hands, tears forgotten in light of Charity’s news.
“ Tell us all about it!” Jael squealed gleefully. “Can we begin now?”
“ Almost,” Charity answered. “First, we’re going to visit the Council.”
*
Malcolm would not give in to Pilar’s demands, no matter how he desired them as an excuse to loose himself upon her.
Drink and turn her…
Shaking the ancient command from his mind, he faced the alternative. The Council would be privy to his darkest secret. And to his deceptions. Neither path appealed, but justice for his child demanded he own his choices from years gone by. He would not bring another half-born into the world until things changed. As for Pilar, he needed to avoid her. Thirst high, he would succumb easily with the bond calling and her open invitation to take.
He strode into his dressing room to prepare to face the Council.
“ You’ve yet to answer my demands, vampire.”
Pilar’s voice sliced through him like a hot knife.
How had she gotten inside his private dressing chamber?
He dared not ask. Slight tremors shook his hands, his mind warring to resist the bonding call.
“ You know not what you ask of me,” he rasped, her scent already wreaking havoc with his senses, driving his desire to possess her.
“ But I do, Malcolm of Clan Gaunson,” she responded calmly. “I ask that you give yourself the incentive needed to ensure you attain the goal. It’s beautiful in its simplicity.”
She neared, brushing against his arm as she passed.
His pained growl filled the dressing room and he grabbed her roughly by the arms, covering her mouth with his own, ravishing her in a fury of possessive angst.
Tearing his lips from her he ground out, “It would be our child, Pilar, that filled
Bluidy hell, woman! Ye are a stubborn creature. But ye will see things differently when the thirst comes upon ye.
He laughed his reply, infuriating Paige further.
“ You’re a pompous man, Cael Maccinnis!” she announced to no one aside from herself.
The empty room absorbed her words without acknowledgment. Paige hugged herself, a sense of defeat creeping into her soul. A new thought broke into her brooding. Cael had said thirst would come on her. She shivered, knowing exactly what he’d been talking about. But the way he said it made her question if the little she’d experienced was only the beginning.
*
Harry and Jael scurried from the path of the plane as it hurled across the room.
“ No one defies Fate!” Charity yelled, face red with fury. “She’s mine!”
“ What happened, Charity?” Jael’s young voice questioned.
“ He’s not playing right! That’s what! Paige isn’t on the plane. Her Fate belongs to me, and he just took her away when it was finally my turn to play. It’s not fair!”
She turned, looking hard at Jael.
“ Did you show him the whole thing, Jael?”
Jael shifted uncomfortably in her dress. Charity was angry.
“ Tell me the truth, Jael,” Charity cooed. “I won’t be mad, I promise.”
“ Well, sort of…”
“ Sort of?” Charity led her on, determined to know.
“ I didn’t want her to go on the plane, Charity!” Jael sobbed, breaking quickly under her sister’s knowing eyes. “I was afraid you’d send her to the Netherworld, so I made up the last part myself.”
“ Send who to the Netherworld?” Charity asked, confused for a minute by her sister’s confession.
“ Paige Kinnell,” Jael cried, hugging her sister tightly. “I like her, Charity.”
“ Paige Kinnell?” Charity laughed, wrapping her sister in her arms, a comforting gesture. “That’s beside the point, Jael. Cael Maccinnis ruined my plans, and now he shall pay for it.”
Charity paced the floor, abandoning her contrite sister to Harry’s shoulder. When her eyes lit anew, both siblings waited expectantly for her decision.
“ I know,” Charity smiled at them. “We’ll make it a game! Wouldn’t you like to play another game?”
Jael clapped her hands, tears forgotten in light of Charity’s news.
“ Tell us all about it!” Jael squealed gleefully. “Can we begin now?”
“ Almost,” Charity answered. “First, we’re going to visit the Council.”
*
Malcolm would not give in to Pilar’s demands, no matter how he desired them as an excuse to loose himself upon her.
Drink and turn her…
Shaking the ancient command from his mind, he faced the alternative. The Council would be privy to his darkest secret. And to his deceptions. Neither path appealed, but justice for his child demanded he own his choices from years gone by. He would not bring another half-born into the world until things changed. As for Pilar, he needed to avoid her. Thirst high, he would succumb easily with the bond calling and her open invitation to take.
He strode into his dressing room to prepare to face the Council.
“ You’ve yet to answer my demands, vampire.”
Pilar’s voice sliced through him like a hot knife.
How had she gotten inside his private dressing chamber?
He dared not ask. Slight tremors shook his hands, his mind warring to resist the bonding call.
“ You know not what you ask of me,” he rasped, her scent already wreaking havoc with his senses, driving his desire to possess her.
“ But I do, Malcolm of Clan Gaunson,” she responded calmly. “I ask that you give yourself the incentive needed to ensure you attain the goal. It’s beautiful in its simplicity.”
She neared, brushing against his arm as she passed.
His pained growl filled the dressing room and he grabbed her roughly by the arms, covering her mouth with his own, ravishing her in a fury of possessive angst.
Tearing his lips from her he ground out, “It would be our child, Pilar, that filled
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