A Forever Series Box Set: A Paranormal Reverse Harem-(Book 1-5)

“How long have you been here?” I ask her as I help her to her feet.

“What date is it?” she replies.

I tell her.

“Three months,” she says and my heart clenches.

“Your sire?” I ask, dreading the answer.

She perks up. “Constantine. Is he here? Did he come to get me?”

Lance was right and that hurling feeling rises even more. “He is here,” I say.

She looks so relieved; I want to die right there on the spot.

“You must be Aefre,” she says as we reach the stone steps. “He said I looked a lot like you.”

I stop dead in my tracks at her words. “He told you about me?”

“Oh, yes. I know all about you. I was made to be just like you.”

“What?” I snap at her and she shies away, closer to Devon, who has a strong grip on her. Cole, who has a strong grip on me, tightens his fingers painfully on my arm at that nasty revelation.

“What do you mean?” I ask more pleasantly at her fearful look as we all hesitate at the bottom the steps.

“He didn’t tell you?” she asks.

I say nothing and she shakes her head. “Then I won’t betray him.” She tries to go up the steps, but I pull her back.

Sensing that she is roughly about two hundred years old, I have the upper hand and ask her again, less pleasantly, “What do you mean made to be just like me?”

She shakes her head again and I tighten the grip I have on her arm. “A lot has changed since you were brought here. I am your Queen now and you will answer me or suffer the consequences.”

I feel bad about playing that card with her after what she has been through, but I want answers and I want them now.

Her eyes go wide at the threat, and she senses, if not my Power then my superior Vampire strength. “He found me and turned me to be like you. So, he could love you, but also take his liberties with you. He never wanted to hurt you, never wanted you to see his bad side. But I didn’t mind. I was happy just to be with him. I love him and I would do anything for him. He wanted me to be like you, so he could be himself with you.”

I know I’m staring at her like she is insane, as are Devon and Cole, but a horrible, horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me she is speaking the truth. I move forward still gripping her arm and we silently head up the steps back into the kitchens.

Constantine is still throttling Lance on the floor having a heated conversation in Romanian. He looks up as we enter the kitchen. His face hardens as he sees that in fact, Polly was down there.

“Constantine,” she cries, trying to run towards him. I hold her back and she struggles, but soon gives up, still weak.

“Aefre,” he growls at me. “Finish him. Now.”

I shake my head, no longer concerned with his feelings as I stare at him in pain and disgust.

His eyes go sad at the look on my face. “Aefre. Do it now.”

“No, he is yours to do with as you please,” I say and, letting go of Polly, I make a run for outside again, unable to bear being in the same room as them.

My bare feet sink into the damp grass. It has started raining but I don’t care. I run for the gates and snap to the guards to open them, remembering what Constantine had said earlier. They do as they are told, and I run into the forest, breathing in deeply, trying to clear my head and my memories. I feel stifled and sick. I sink to the floor and cry. I cry so hard, I think my heart is going to break.

A soft whimper draws my attention to my wolf companion, again coming to sit with me. He plops his big head on my lap, and I smile despite myself. He wags his tail as I stroke him, and I start to relax. I couldn’t say for sure how long I’m out here, rhythmically stroking the wolf, listening to him breathing. I murmur all of my problems to him, and I feel better for talking about it, even though he can’t answer me back. My mind goes blank and all there is, is just the two of us sitting in the rain. Suddenly, a black swirl goes up around him. I pull my hand away, wondering what I’ve just done to the poor creature, when the fog dissipates and sitting in front of me is a strikingly handsome man, with short, spiky black hair and the clear green eyes of the wolf.

He peers at me closely and clears his throat. “Whoever you are, thank you,” he says and launches himself at me kissing me, pushing his tongue into my mouth.

I enjoy being kissed by him for a moment, until I remember myself and push him back. “Whoa. Where did you come from?” I ask rudely.