Good! You should be horrified.
‘Only because you’re reacting ridiculous. You don’t act like a princess,’ he answered her telepathically. ‘You have a lot to learn, Savannah. But I will teach you.’
Savannah jumped back. “How did you do that?”
“Do what?” He looked innocently.
Savannah looked at Celestia and Martina. Neither of them had any clue he was telepathic. ‘How did you talk to me in my mind? Only my sire can do that.’
‘It’s my gift. What’s yours?’
‘That’s personal, don’t you think?’ Savannah didn’t know what her gift was yet. According to Celestia every supernatural being had a special power which they would discover in their own time. Savannah hadn’t seen any hint of a power yet, but she was positive she wouldn’t tell him even if she did.
‘You will tell me in your own time.’ The smirk on his face assured her she would never tell mister-know-it-all what he wanted to know.
“Perhaps we are pushing her too soon. She just returned to school today.” Celestia tried to use logic to explain Savannah’s terrible behavior.
“I think she’s far stronger than you realize, Celestia. Martina and I would like to take her shopping for some new clothes. She’s a far cry from how a princess should look.”
“Excuse me?” Savannah asked, shocked and hurt.
“Yes. Yes, I agree. She needs a complete makeover which is why I hired Martina.”
Martina and Viktor ushered Savannah toward the door. Savannah tried to fight them, but they were both vampires and they were both much stronger than she was.
‘Be good, daughter.’ Celestia’s warning rang in her mind as she was dragged toward the portal to earth dimension.
Chapter Nineteen
Savannah
Martina pushed Savannah through the door of another store. They’d already gotten scarves of all different colors, jewelry, mostly silver of course, some new designer jeans, slacks and skirts, and well-crafted blouses. Savannah was beginning to feel like a mannequin as clothes were draped on her body and colors were checked. Viktor and Celestia were sparing no expense to make sure their investment was well dressed and looked the part. Martina flew through the dress store, pulling items of different colors and designs off the racks as Viktor smiled shyly at Savannah. It was the first time he was not otherwise occupied with his phone and they were alone.
“You’re very pretty.” He smiled warmly.
“Really? Because after this whole experience I was beginning to think I wasn’t good enough to be a princess,” she snapped coldly.
“Vampires are big on ritual and expectations. You’re perfect in my book. However, as a royal you’re expected to be beyond perfect. Higher standards are placed upon you.” He turned those unique violet eyes on her, eyes that reminded her of her father. “Your life depends on acting the part, especially now that we’re officially engaged.”
Savannah folded her arms at her chest. “I don’t consider us engaged, officially.”
“Really? Why is that?”
This man was clueless. She exhaled a frustrated breath out and watched as her bangs played in the uncommon breeze. “An engagement, in my book, consists of a man getting down on one knee and asking. This…” she waved her hand in impatience “…is all formality and protection. Where is the romance, the tingles, the earth shattering kisses, the mind boggling make out sessions…?”
Savannah was so wrapped up in her wish list that she didn’t even notice Viktor had gotten down on one knee until Martina dropped the items in her hands and screamed.
“What are you doing? Get up!” Savannah looked around at everyone staring at them. Vampires were not allowed to draw attention to themselves in public settings.
“It may not be the perfect romance…but you will teach me what I need to do.” He pulled out a ring box from the breast pocket of his elegant sports jacket and held it out. “Savannah Ariel Matthews Winters you intrigue me immensely and I cannot wait to spend forever getting to know you better. Would you do me the honor of becoming my bride?”
Her heart fluttered. It wasn’t the speech she imagined, but it wasn’t bad. She looked around, camera phones were rolling. Oh hell! She tried to hide the eye roll. They were on stage now. Appearances were of the utmost importance. “Yes.” She had no choice but to say it.
“What was that?” he asked with a grin on his face. He heard her, he was a vampire.
“Yes, I will marry you,” she said louder so everyone could hear.
The grin that broke out across his face was brilliant. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her up into an embrace, and spun them around. “That was the first and only time I will ever do that,” he whispered against her ear. “Now we are officially engaged.” The smile didn’t leave his face when he put her down.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss” was the chant that broke out from the crowd that had gathered to witness her fake proposal.
He turned those eyes back onto hers. “I’m going to kiss you now.” It wasn’t a request, it was a statement. He moved closer, placing his hands on her slender hips tentatively. Then with a jerk he pulled her against him, weaving a spell around her senses. He moved his lips close to hers, so close but not touching. One hand moved up her spine to her neck. Tingles shot a trail up and a blush crept onto her cheeks as his body gave away his desire to claim her. “May I kiss you now?” His fingers tangled into the hair at the nape of her neck and lifted her lips toward his, still not touching.
She was so wrapped up in the spell he was weaving that she almost missed his question.
“Savannah, I won’t kiss you until you give me permission.”
He had somehow managed to turn a business arrangement into something more in a matter of minutes. His lips brushed so close to her skin she felt herself light up without a touch. His other hand raised up and gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, then caressed her cheek. “May I?”
“Yes.” Her word came out breathlessly, but he heard her. The smirk that spread across his lips was unsettling but she gave little thought to it when his lips touched hers. Gentle at first and then he deepened the kiss and possessed her mouth with his. She was vaguely aware of the cheers in the background as he continued to assault her senses with a mixture of tenderness and possessiveness. As far as earth shattering kisses goes, he got a gold star.
Chapter Twenty
Savannah
Savannah handled school and the “boyfriend” deception better on her second day back. Anger, these days, seemed to make everything a little bit better. It filled her mind, body, and soul and made her forget everything else, including the unfairness of the whole situation. Her anger was not only directed at Rebecca and Celestia but also at her new image consultant Martina, her pretend boyfriend Danny, and her fiancé Viktor. Just about everyone in her life made her blood boil. Just about.
Hunter bravely attempted to sit with her at lunch but was shooed away by Danny and his trio of want-to-bes. Rebecca was smart to keep her distance, but she, Lucky, and Gabriel watched her like a hawk. It seemed that every move she made was being watched. It only irritated her more.
After school she dropped Danny at home and headed to her home that existed because of magic. Magic she’d never have access to thanks to her wonderful family. The whole lot of them could go to hell for all she cared. As soon as she could she was going to leave this place and find a new home. Far away from everyone she knew and once cared about.
She didn’t expect to see Lucky waiting at the portal. He looked like a cool drink of lemonade on a hot summer’s day as he stood, arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the stop sign on the corner of the abandoned gas station. Her body came alive as his golden amber eyes zeroed in on her. His silky blond hair almost glistened in the sun. His tanned skin was simply a reminder of something else she couldn’t have. Even now he made her stomach do somersaults. But she was officially engaged now and he was her sister’s ex-boyfriend. He
was forbidden fruit. She wouldn’t let him break down her defenses.
“What do you want, Lucky?” she barked.
“To talk,” he answered simply, not affected by her anger.
“As a protector or as my sister’s boyfriend? Because I really have no desire to give relationship advice at the moment.” Sarcasm is fast becoming my best friend. She thought as a smile spread across her face.
“Neither, actually. As your friend.” Still unaffected by her nasty behavior.
Savannah held back the snarky sound she wanted to make. “Because you’ve been an amazing friend so far?” She started heading toward the portal entrance and he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to face him.
“I’ll give you that. You’re the mirror image of Rebecca and with all that’s going on between us it makes it hard to spend time with you. Feelings get mixed up when you’re around,” he grumbled as his eyes bore into her soul. “That doesn’t mean we aren’t friends. It just means I need to try harder to be a better friend.”
This time Savannah did snort, it was not flattering. “I’m not my sister.”
“I get that! And the more time I’m around you the differences are glaringly obvious.” His snide comment cut through her defenses like a knife through processed cheese. Unfortunately it got stuck and left a mark on her self-confidence.
Lucky must have seen the hurt cross her face. “That’s not how I meant it.” His voice got lower, more seductive. “You’re special.” His thumb rubbed her arm, but his grip stayed strong. The look in his eyes grew darker and she finally felt something real for the first time since she woke up in her new life. She didn’t know what it was but she wanted to feel more.
“Is everything all right, Savannah?” Viktor’s voice broke the spell Lucky was creating around them. Damn Nephilim and their overactive pheromone disbursement. It should be illegal how intoxicating the half-breed angels could be.
Savannah snatched her arm away. Lucky resisted the pull but finally let her go.
“I’m fine, Viktor. I think Lucky was just leaving.” She took a step toward Viktor, who pulled her against his side possessively.
“No, actually I was just taking you with me.” He took her other elbow and began to pull her toward his SUV.
“Where are you taking me?” She resisted his hold. She knew with her new strength she could break free, but she didn’t want to hurt him. She had no idea how strong she really was.
“I have a few questions for you.” He didn’t look at her, just kept walking.
“Are you placing her under arrest?” Viktor asked as he followed them to the vehicle.
“Not yet,” Lucky muttered.
“Don’t worry, Savannah, my lawyers will meet you at the Protector headquarters.” He picked up his phone and pressed his number four speed dial key.
‘Don’t worry about me, Viktor. He’s in love with my twin sister. He won’t hurt me.’ She directed her thoughts toward the handsome vampire prince who pursed his lips with worry and uncertainty. His forehead crinkled with what she assumed was concern and when he hung up his phone without answering her, she knew the message was received.
Lucky put her in the passenger seat. “Don’t worry. I need you to trust me,” he whispered and offered a weak smile. Then shut the door. Without a backward glance to Viktor he headed to the driver’s side. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring her back in one piece,” he promised.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Savannah asked when he put the car in drive and pulled out onto the empty street.
“Your brother and sister want to talk to you.”
Savannah watched in the side mirror as Viktor got in his silver Miata and followed them. “I don’t want to see my sister or brother so you can drop me off here.”
“Not a chance.” Lucky smiled.
“You do know I’m stronger than you?”
“You do know I’ve faced off against more experienced vampires than you,” Lucky answered her challenge. He glanced toward her. “Don’t you think it’s time to start the healing process?”
“Maybe in a century or so,” Savannah mumbled.
‘Are you okay, my dear?’ Viktor’s soft lilted tones rang in her mind.
‘Yes. He’s not taking me to the headquarters, he’s taking me to see my sister and brother.’
‘The werewolf and witch?’
Savannah didn’t know Viktor knew so much about her family and that worried her slightly. She hadn’t been talking to him but someone was. ‘Yes.’
‘Perhaps that’s a smart move. With all the changes on the political landscape coming up it would be good to strengthen ties with your family.’
‘Like hell!’
‘Underworld, my dear. No one but humans call the underworld hell.’
Savannah bit her tongue to keep from her snappy retort. Instead, she turned her attention to Lucky. “You do know my fiancé is following us?”
“Fiancé?”
“Prince Viktor Romanov.”
“I know he’s following, but I never knew you were engaged.”
“It happened last night. Some sort of arrangement between two vampire houses.”
“Been there, done that.” Savannah guessed he was remembering the Felicity debacle.
“Right with Felicity. You know that girl is as evil as the day is long.”
He nodded. “Which is why I broke the engagement.”
“I bet your family was thrilled,” she mumbled.
“Thrilled? They’re furious with me. My brother and sister are visiting next week to talk me out of my decision.” He grinned. “But what they’ve all forgotten is that this is my life and I make the decisions for myself.”
Savannah studied him closely. “Did you do it for Rebecca?”
He shook his head. “No. Rebecca helped me realize marrying Felicity would be a mistake. It was when she stood by watching Celestia kidnap and kill you that sealed the deal.” He looked at her closely for a moment before merging into the next lane. “You didn’t deserve what happened to you, Savvy.”
“Savannah. Savvy’s dead,” Savannah bellowed. She had no need for his pity at the moment, it only served him. “Why wasn’t Felicity arrested or something?”
“Because she’s a Protector but she works for Black Ops, a division that offers services to some of the darker entities. She was contracted to be a bodyguard to Celestia and she acted in that capacity. The person who should be punished is Celestia.”
“Okay, why was she not punished?”
“Because you weren’t human, technically. You’re already a member of the supernatural world and the protectors work with the Authority whose main purpose is to keep the supernatural world hidden from humans.”
“So I’m not important enough, or a big enough threat to be avenged.”
Lucky sighed. “It’s a dangerous world we live in, Savannah. You can’t take away a supernatural creature’s basic need for survival. For vampires that is to sire new vampires. Only the leaders or elders can do so, which makes extinction a very real possibility. Stopping Celestia from making you would be like stopping a human female from getting pregnant.”
Savannah glared at him. “You do know how heartless you sound, right?”
“It’s the way we all agree to co-exist.” The muscle in his jaw ticked as he watched the road. “If we didn’t find a way to exist side by side, the supernaturals would be revealed to humans and then terrible things would happen to everyone with a supernatural connection. The humans far outnumber us.”
“So all I hear is blah, blah, blah. And you’re making me angry. It shouldn’t matter if I was human or supernatural. What should matter is that I was killed by the vampire who’s now running to be the new queen of Phoenix.”
Lucky nodded his agreement. “You’re right.” He made a sharp turn right and then left. Another right. Another right and then slipped into an alleyway.
‘Savannah, where are you? I believe your friend has given me the proverbial slip.’ Vikto
r’s voice was smooth silk in her mind.
‘I’m fine, Viktor. You said I need to make peace with my family and so let me be while I take care of some old family business.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes.’
‘As you wish.’ He was gone. The moment he left she felt alone. She wasn’t sure of anything but the fact that this meeting was going to happen, so she might as well buckle up and get prepared for the battle that was about to happen between the Winters siblings.
Chapter Twenty-One
Savannah
Lucky drove Savannah north of Phoenix. It was dark by the time they got there, the moon already high in the sky. The stars shined brightly, they were so close she felt like she could almost reach out and touch them. Things were completely different when the city lights weren’t around to block out nature. She felt a connection she thought she’d lost, the familiar connection to nature she’d always had before she became a vampire. He stopped at a place outside of a town called Strawberry. She remembered going on hikes out here with her siblings and Grandmother when she was younger. Things were so simple back then. He took her on a short hike through the mountainous terrain and brought her to a small meadow located by a running stream. Natalia, Rebecca, Hunter, and Grandmother Catherine were all waiting for her. Rebecca was in a square cage with an odd looking metallic collar with blinking lights around her neck.
There was a pentagram of flowers on the ground with fire lit torches at all five points.
“Is this some sort of witches’ intervention?” Savannah stopped before stepping into the meadow.
Hunter looked up from the ancient book he was holding and grinned. “Nope. It’s the spell we’re going to do to break the binding our parents put on us.”
Savannah reluctantly stepped into the meadow, glancing around carefully. “Are you going to lock me up in a cage like Rebecca?”