Her Brother, Her Mate

Vincent POV

It took me some time to soothe my love out of her panicked craze. I almost wish I had never left this morning, but I had to feed. I was cutting it close as it was. My mother was not a lowly vampire, only being two generations from a purebred so I have to feed weekly when I’m exerting too much energy. I exerted far too much yesterday and needed to recharge.

It took nearly 4 b***d bags at the coven’s main bank to restore myself completely, and then the high from the bloodlust took another hour to reside. I had barely made it to my club by the time Parker had called me, telling me in a panic to go back home to Simone.

She is still naked from her massage, wrapped in nothing but a towel and even that was hanging off her, not offering much coverage to her delicious curves. I didn’t like her being exposed to the pup or my employees, though I knew Jerome and Philipe were committed to each other, not attracted to women in the least. I have this possessiveness for Simone I have never felt before in the entirety of my life.

I wonder if it’s the influence of the wolf-mate bond? Other races always mocked the were race for their irrational tendencies when it came to their mates, but here I am jealous of a couple of gay men seeing too much of Simone while she was in her panicked state. I’m now being completely irrational.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Carli is shifting through Simone’s outfits in the guest room. I hear her before she comes into my bedroom, passing me a pair of shorts and a tank top to help Simone into.

“Underwear?” I ask her.

“Oh, right!” she turns back to go searching in the guest room for a set. Simone chuckles at that, bringing my focus back onto her lovely face.

“Of course, she forgets underwear,” Simone shakes her head, making my brows furrow. “Don’t worry about it,” she chuckles again.

Carli comes back in with a lace set I’m suddenly very excited about putting Simone in them and taking her out of them later. Carli closes the door quietly, giving me and Simone some privacy.

“Sit up, love. Let’s get you dressed then we can figure out what’s going on.”

“I know what’s going on, Vin,” she mutters, rubbing her nose into my neck, sending those shivering, arousing currents over my skin. “He knows. He’s probably been watching us this entire time. He knows you’re my mate. He’s going to try to kill you.”

I scoff, “He can try, my love, but he won’t succeed. Don’t let my suits and demeanor fool you. I am a vampire. Not a lowly one either. I can handle an arrant fairy brat.”

I know I may look less impressive physique-wise compared to Parker and the other werewolf men she is used to being around, but vampires don’t need muscle for strength. We get it from the vitality in the b***d we drink. I’ll just need to feed more, but I’m confident I could overpower a dishonored fairy.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” Simone whispers in a broken voice, “I don’t want him to kill you.”

“Simone,” I give her a disapproving look, “I am not just saying these words to make you feel better. I can handle him. He can’t hurt me.”

She starts crying softly again, her nose back to my neck. I sigh and rest my chest on her head, moving her legs gently so she’s straddling me. Maybe I can show her that I’m more than strong enough to handle the silver-haired tripe. I’ll ask Parker later to fight with me just to show her I will be okay.

After she calms down, I assist her into her clothes, kissing her between articles of clothing to help her remain calm. When she is finally decent, I call Parker and Carli to join us in my bedroom. Simone is clinging to me and I don’t want to disturb her by urging her to move again. If she’s content, I want to keep her that way.

“So, what exactly is going on?” I ask Parker.

He sits in one of the chairs next to the glass wall, looking up at the sky. Carli goes to sit on his lap and offers me a sympathetic smile. “He’s airborne. He stole his father’s pegasus. You being on the top floor of this building is not ideal.”

I nod, “So what’s the plan now?”

Parker looks at Carli and I can tell they are communicating through their mind tricks.

“I think it would be best if you both came back to the packhouse with us,” he responds.

“I could simply move us to a lower floor or to a new location,” I offer, not entirely on board with moving to werewolf territory.

“He knows she is with you, though,” Carli argues, “If the freak has been watching for her like we think he has been, then he’s watched you guys together and has to know you’re important to her.” I sigh thinking about us last night on the balcony. It seemed romantic at the time, but if he saw that; saw me devouring her body as she screamed my name into the night sky he would probably take that as a challenge. I would if I were him. I should have moved us indoors. Not that it would help all that much. Most of the walls in the condo, including the ones in my bedroom, are glass. We’re practically in an aquarium.

“I told him I found my mate,” Simone says softly, looking at the two of them from where she’s resting her head against my chest, “He didn’t get violent until I told him that. He thinks I’m playing a game with him to have him chase after me. He will try to kill Vincent to get to me,” she licks her trembling lips. She turns her beautiful amber eyes up to me, “Please. Can we go to the packhouse, please? I don’t want to lose you.”

I repress the urge to roll my eyes, sigh, and k**s her adorable nose. “I told you, I will be fine. But, yes. If it helps you feel better, we can move to your packhouse until this is resolved. I just need to make some arrangements with work,” I turn my gaze on Parker, “I want my men to accompany us. Simon and a few others. I have a feeling I will not get many chances to leave, nor will I want to leave her side again until this is resolved. I have businesses to run and need my men to be able to come and go as needed.”

“Not a problem,” Parker agrees easily, which surprises me. I know he is not like his father in his prejudices but I still didn’t expect him to so readily agree to vampire men coming and going on his pack lands as I needed.

“We’ll get one of the visiting alpha suites set up for you. They’re larger with an office,” Carli told us, “Matt and Lilly are preparing it now. Mitch and Mark have been taking turns guarding your parents but we can move them to the packhouse too if it makes you feel better. I’m sure they can find someone else to run the charter for a couple of days.”

Simone shakes her head, “Dad won’t agree to that. I don’t think Aiden will go after them anyway. He always tried hard to get my parents to like him.”

I hate hearing that this psycho she’s hiding from was trying to get in her parent’s good graces. That unfamiliar jealousy and possessiveness are creeping into my chest again, making my skin crawl with the urge to tear Aiden limb from limb just for having a past with Simone.

Parker’s eyes meet mine and he gives me a knowing smirk, irritating me further.

“We have an escort on their way here. Why don’t you both pack what you need for the next few days so we can get going? Hopefully, now that we know how he escaped and what we’re dealing with, we can find him soon,” Parker tells us, tapping Carli’s thigh so she stands.

Carli takes one last lingering look out the window, up at the greying sky, and I know she’s searching for any sign of the fairy boy. I hope he comes after me. I hope I get to see him face to face. It would be my greatest pleasure to ease my love’s anxieties by tearing the life from him myself.