“No plans,” I say shortly.
“It is the true heir, is it not? Surely you should have already found a way to protect it,” Remiel says.
“Actually, I’m not so sure that it is,” I say honestly. Everyone else seems to think that it is, but I just don’t.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“The daughter born to an Other World version of me and Constantine isn’t the true heir,” I explain.
“Interesting,” he says to me, his gaze so intense it is like lasers are about to beam into mine. “So what you are saying is that a child born only to you and me is the true heir?”
Err, no, that’s not what I am saying.
Wait.
“You cannot deny that we were made for each other, Aefre. Your blood brought me back to life and my blood turned you back into a Vampire against the odds. Our bodies are as one when we make love, you cannot say that you don’t feel it,” he says.
When I don’t say anything, he continues, “You are my charge now, Aefre. Mine to love and protect. I am your sire, the man you turn to when you are in need. We are bonded in a way in which no other man is or ever will be to you. Our lives are so entwined around each other, our destiny is written. Don’t fight it.”
The last three words sound like a warning and it sets off alarm bells for me in a big way. His speech, while the words sound matter of fact, is in fact his way of telling me that this was his plan all along. To bind me to him in a way that cannot be denied…for either of us.
“This was your big plan?” I scoff even as the ice slides down my spine. “To become my sire?”
“Why, yes,” he says and that smile turns just a little bit sinister. “I have taken great pains to make this happen, Aefre, and you played right into my hands. You see, I know you. I knew you would be lost without your true power and your true power has always lain with the Vampire. It always will. Without it, you are less, and you feel it to your very core. It unnerves you and I knew you would come to the conclusion that the only man who could save you was your Chosen one. Me. I have broken every tie to every man who has a claim on you, you belong to me now.”
“That isn’t true,” I say, frantically thinking of a way out of this. I have been a fool. This is just a game of chess to him, he even told me that once, and that I am the Queen to move around the board as he sees fit. And I played right into it. I curse my stupidity and tell myself I will deal with myself later, right now I need a snappy comeback and, for once, I don’t have one. “Kalen and I are still connected and so are Lincoln and I.”
Wow, as snappy comebacks go, that was right there up with, “I’m rubber, you’re glue…”
He chuckles quietly. “The Wolf connection will sever with death and believe me; Kalen will soon be the man you despise more than anything.”
I gulp. Have I just unwittingly put Lincoln’s life in danger? “What do you mean?” I ask quietly.
“Oh, time will tell,” he says breezily.
“You do know that your little plan to get Xander to break my bond with Xane backfired, don’t you?” I suddenly blurt out, remembering with horror that I am now bound to the younger brother.
Remiel frowns at me and it is clear he has no idea what I mean. I smile a sinister smile of my own. “Oh, you don’t know,” I say.
“Backfired how?” he snaps at me before he reins in his emotions and goes back to being all bland and unassuming.
“It appears that I am now bound to Xander instead,” I say, trying to show that it doesn’t bother me.
“How?” he asks, perplexed. “That spell was perfect.”
“You don’t even deny it?” I ask.
“Why would I? I just told you that I have gone to great lengths to get you exactly where I wanted you,” he says.
“What makes you think that I will ever want to be with you?” I shout at him and then bite my tongue as Delinda is within earshot.
“I am your sire now,” he hisses at me. “You will obey me, or I will take great delight in punishing you.”
I take a giant step back from him and go on the defensive. If he even touches me, I will fry his arse off. He sees my hackles go up and he backs down.
He appraises me then and I want to cover up to stop his eyes from roving over me. My blouse is quite demure for me and that is why I put it on, so that I wasn’t showing him what he was missing.
“I can smell my father all over you,” he says.