❄️

~Year 2090-Winter-

Kev...

Nope!

...seriously...you're going to act like a child now?

He remains silent a moment later. Shaking my head, I'd already situated Rose in my car while I needed a moment to connected with my brother alone. He had to have known that his little fuck toy would eventually be pulled out from beneath of him...especially now that I've found Rose.

Kev?

Silence...

Keveon Arin...

Fuck you too, Cormac Arin.

Look, I can't ha-

A second later he cuts me off...but it's not just Kev who does this, but a knock sounds from my door. Releasing a sigh of frustration, I pull the door inward only to meet Dante's gaze, a smirk working its way up onto his face.

"Now what?" I question, watching as he shifts his gaze to glance down the hallway.

Dante chuckles before sighing, "I thought I would say a few parting words until we meet again."

Arching a brow I state, "I never took you for the sentimental type."

"Rose is..." his voice trails off before he shakes his head and finishes, "never mind," he eyes me once more before noting, "don't take too long with her..." I hear the change in his tone, my eyes narrowing a second later before I return with a slight nod of my head. Dante takes his leave, walking out of sight down the hallway before I release a sigh, not knowing exactly how this will work if-

We can both win.

Excuse me?

Kev immediately cuts clear through my thoughts, unsure of what it is he's getting at.

You mentioned before...you want her to trust you, to believe that you'd never do anything to hurt her. You're worried about her emotions getting the best of her especially come next winter solstice...

Your point?

Why not test her with Missy?

I rub my forehead, closing the door to my room behind me as I make my way down the hallway. Everyone is readying to leave, many saying their farewells as I also descend the staircase to the lower level.

Cormac, come on...please don't make me give Missy up...that's not fair to her.

It's hardly fair to Rose either.

Look...you said yourself she may never want to bond with you...

I'm well aware of that.

I nod at Aohdan and Arthur as they are chatting with one another, receiving their own acknowledgement in return.

I'll give up Missy the second Rose TELLS you she wants to. Otherwise...let me have my fun and then you get the trust you want from her. If she'd honestly believe you would sleep with anyone other than her once you found her, then she needs to take a step back and figure things out...really think about it.

She hardly knows you even exist, how is she ever going to realize that exactly?

There's a moments pause as I catch Dante's gaze before I move past the entryway and toward my car. I see Rose sitting in the passenger seat where I'd left her, watching as she sees me say goodbye before I then notice Taft speaking with her through the window.

Touch. She should know the connection does not exist between her and I so she would make a comment about that...maybe then...we tell her?

Fine...

I've had to compromise with Kev in the past and it's no exception in his regard to Missy. Just as I near the car I hear Taft say, "Smart, brave, and strong...only time will tell if that will save you from your inevitable fate. Careful, if he brings you next year, I might just pull a Cormac an-"

"-and you'll do what, exactly?" I release a dark chuckle while coming to stand behind him. Pull a Cormac...is this the new thing I've started a trend for?

Taft stands to his full height before he turns around and stares at me, "Just playing with her...I wouldn't take your special slave away from you," his head turns in the direction of Arthur, waving him goodbye as he gets into his own car with his coven members quickly following him into their own vehicles. When he turns back to me, he finishes, "I can already see how determined you were to take her away from Aohdan. Should I be concerned behind the reasoning why?"

Simply shrugging my shoulder and waving my hand in his direction I note, "It's fun to take toys away from those who can't play with them properly."

Taft glances over his shoulder at Rose and replies, "I'm surprised Aohdan never used her in that way. So feisty..."

Let's not get into this any further...

"Well then," I'm quick to cut the conversation short, not wanting to delve further into anything else concerning Rose while I shake his hand, "Until next year, where we may have the most spectacular winter festival ever!"

Spectacular...

Taft nods while chuckling, "Arthur does know how to put on a winter festival...should be rather interesting."

"Yes...it should," I nod at Taft and watch as he heads out from Aohdan's grounds, taking with him his coven in the cars. It's not long before they are out of sight, walking around the front of my car to the driver's side before catching Dante speaking with Laisha.

I'm not the only one to hear him snarl, "You had to have known!"

Why...?

Is this about Richard's death?

"I told you before, I don't know what happened!" Laisha is quick to snap right back at him, her eyes narrowing in anger at his accusations. It would appear that this is in regards to his death...though...how would Laisha have known anything?

She was the 'victim' that called Aohdan...

Dante's laugh is sarcastic when he says, "Oh. Right. We'll see about that," before he turns away from her. Releasing a sigh, I open the car door and slide into the sear, shutting the door before buckling my seat belt. When I bring my gaze up, Dante's already at his car...though when I rest my hand on Rose's thigh and give in a firm squeeze, she jolts instantly.

When she breathes out, I ask her with confusion, "Something wrong?"

"Dante's a hybrid," she's not hesitant in the slightest.

Well then...

...looks like the secret's out.

As I slowly raise my hand up her thigh, I hear her heartbeat slowly escalate while I lower my lips closer to her ear and whisper, "I already know. One, the fact that he's Richard Matz's brother should have tipped the rest of the council off, but then again, he could easily be a half-brother with just his vampire side," my hand slides up just a bit further while she gasps when I lightly nibble on her earlobe. The warmth spreads through both of us before I pull away and finish, "I can only assume, that since I am your beloved, I can tell just by scent alone..."

Though...that's what I assumed before I actually knew...

"What?" She appears slightly confused.

When I elaborate for her, she begins to understand, "You smell just a bit different from a vampire or a werewolf, more so still human, but there's just something else subtly there...I can't quite explain it," when her eyes meet with mine I state, "I can smell a very similar scent coming from Dante, but I'm not entirely sure if the rest of the vampires can. It could simply be due to the fact I'm mated to a hybrid, though dormant as you are, you are still one. If the council members can indeed pick up the difference in his scent, they're really good fakers, but I know for a fact that Aohdan can't keep a secret to save his life...unless of course he is persuaded with blackmail. He may also be masking it by fully submerging into his vampire side."

"So...why is he here then and why did Arthur allow him into the council?" She asks as I set the car in gear, beginning to leave the driveway behind.

Would it be wise to inform her that he's given a werewolf head as a gift to Arthur at this point?

No...she may not trust him either and she'll need to in order to fully understand her own nature.

As I keep my hand on her thigh, the other grasping the wheel, I begin to explain the lie, "As to why Arthur allowed him to take the fifth council member position, I have absolutely no idea, but I hope to find out more so next year at his estate. In regards to why he is here..."

I honestly still don't know the reason why he's here...unless he truly was drawn to Rose alone...though I highly doubt that. He wants blood...

I glance at her out of the corner of my eye before smirking, "Wouldn't you exact justice on the ones who murdered your own blood?"

"He's going to ki-"

"He's not going to kill anyone...not until he knows for sure exactly which council members were involved in his brother's death," I immediately cut her off, taking another turn onto the freeway as we head across the country.

She is quiet for a moment before she asks, "Did you?"

"Did I what?" I want a clear question from her as I can't believe she would think I had anything to do with Richard's death...

"Did you...help kill Richard?" Rose asks me with a slight hesitation in her voice, almost afraid of what she suspects.

My grip tightens on her thigh as I inform her, "No, little rose. I took no part in Richard's death because I supported him wanting to have a balanced world. The rest of the council...did not, especially after Arthur helped them see how dangerous a hybrid was-"

"-or how powerful one is," she arches a brow with her statement.

She's smarter than I give her credit for...

"Precisely," a chuckle surpasses my lips before I praise her, "very clever Rose."

We are nearing Brury when I glance over at Rose who is asleep in the passenger seat. The entire day had been taken up with our drive and it was nice to have her relax and feel comfortable around me. I feel the shift in her when she awakens, blinking her eyelids open before she stares out at my estate grounds we are approaching.

"How long was I asleep for?" She questions me while I unbuckle my seat belt after turning off the engine.

"Just a few hours, but I'm sure you're still quite exhausted," I inform her, opening the car door and stepping out into the brisk night air.

We're here...

Finally...you have no idea what it's like to watch the woman you want to fuck from afar and can't do anything about it.

My eyes widen at the irony in his statement, walking around to the passenger door before I slowly open it for her. Rose steps out to join me, closing the door behind her as I lower my lips closer to her ear, "Don't worry little rose, I'm quite the gentleman."

Really Kev...I have absolutely no idea how that feels...

Oh...

Just...

My thought trails off as Rose motions to the doors to my estate while arching a brow, "...until we set foot in there."

"It won't be as bad as you think," I chuckle at her response and lift my lips away from her, gazing into her eyes before I say, "besides...if everything pans out the way I want it too...you won't be a slave for more than a year."

"How touching," she places a hand over her heart and rolls her eyes sarcastically. I can't help but smile inwardly at how drawn I am to her fiery personality. A smirk makes its way onto my lips before I shake my head and nod in the direction of the doors. She releases a sigh before she begins to walk toward the door, my mind running through everything that is about to happen...

Cormac?

Just...please, reign yourself in somewhat around my little rose.

Well...Missy is about to-

Before he can finish that thought, the doors swing wide open as Rose retracts her hand after she was about to open it for me. Her heart skips a beat when her eyes land on Missy as her eyes land on me and she sweetly smiles, "Well...hello Master, it's been quite the long wait..."

I feel the apprehension from Rose, the quietness resting between us all before I tell her, "Yes, slave, it has and I'm relieved to finally be home."

I feel her pain...

...her despair, her confusion...

Rose...I'm so sorry...

Missy's gaze meets with Rose's before she sighs, "Are you going to stand in Master's way, or are you going to allow him into his own home?"

You better reign in your whore once you get your hands on her...

Rose numbly stands off to the side as I walk past her and Missy altogether, not wanting to stop next to Kev's play thing for too long. My coven members follow me in next, Missy following me while Rose is left behind to close the doors. She remains silent as Missy begins to chat my ear off about how she has missed everything...though I want to snatch her throat and throw her out the window.

Don't you dare do that!

Fuck off Kev...you have to know this is going to be hard for me to test her also as it is her being tested.

Apparently, that last part hadn't remained a thought of my own.

"And the fourth council member, Master?" Missy is barely containing a giggle.

It is nice to inform her though about Aohdan when I say, "A pain in my ass as always. Though, I did quite enjoy getting under his skin," we both stop just short of a door as I motion to Rose, "taking his personal slave really boiled his blood."

"Oh?" Missy appears to have thought I came into possession of Rose differently when she asks, "So...you didn't buy her, Master?"

"No, slave, she was my prize for her ability to survive The Hunt after I chose her as my selection," I watch her as does Rose when Missy opens the door and pushes it inward as I finish, "anything to get him riled up ends up being an amusing sight."

Well...time for Rose to meet her...officially through introductions.

Clearing my throat I say, "Ah, yes, where are my manners," I motion to Rose and inform Missy, "Missy, this is Rose," I then glance at Missy before finishing with, "Rose...this is Missy."

Can I come out now? Pleeeeeease...?

You think I enjoy your play toy? Give me a moment...

I barely catch the glare Missy throws Rose before she returns, "Nice to meet you," though by the lovely catty girl language, I already know she's not thrilled that Rose is here. A second later, she smiles at me and asks, "Did you want me to introduce her to Kendra and show her around where she'll be staying, Master?"

Yes...then I can ditch into secret passageway and watch from a distance for now...

With a slight nod of my head, I reply, "That's a fantastic idea, slave. I do need to retire to my office for an hour or so. If you wouldn't mind showing Rose around and where my room is, that would be perfect."

"Happy to please, Master!" Missy waves me goodbye and I think I threw up a little in my mouth as I turn on my heels and walk away. Sadly, I leave my little rose at the mercy of the petty girls living within these walls.

Walking toward my room, after stepping inside and shutting the door behind me, the wall to the passageway breaks away and I see my reflection staring back at me. Kev grins and asks, "So...no boundaries?"

"Don't hurt Rose..." my voice trails off before I remind him, "...she will believe you are me and if you reject the way she feels toward you, I'll hang you by your ankles like the alphas."

Kev rolls his eyes and releases a sigh, "Though I don't feel the same way about her, I'm not stupid and I won't screw around if she actually shows interest and wants to bond with you..." his voice trails off as he glances at the door to his freedom, "...I'll step out of the light on that, I promise you."

"Good..." I step out of his way, Kev rubbing his hands together before stepping out of the room like a kid about to unwrap his present on Christmas morning. Only...I hear Missy outside in the hallway as Kev shuts the door quickly behind him. Furrowing my brows with confusion, I move through the passageway to one of the portraits that I'm able to see through.

What throws me off guard is how Missy is all over him...especially when I hear Kendra say, "Annnnnnnnd, Master's bedroom is at the end of th-" though she's cut off the second Rose and her see Kev leaning against the wall while Missy leans against him.

My eyes land on Rose, feeling as though the air has been knocked from her...though she sees exactly what I do...Missy saying, "I bet you haven't had any better since you left, Master," before she playfully traces her fingers up Kev's chest while cutely saying, "I know exactly how you like, how deep you want to go, how rough you want to be."

Kev's hands are around her waist, a smirk on his lips as I shake my head at the sight...

...Rose is never going to understand, this was stupid!

Idiot...this isn't going to work.

You agreed...let me have my fun...besides...there's something else I need to do.

A chill runs down my spine at the realization...

Kev lowers his lips against Missy's, feeling Rose's pain the entire time...

"...yea...Master's room is there," Kendra turns to Rose and finishes, "now you'll know where to come when he calls for you to be his doll."

"I-I-" Rose can hardly speak as my own thoughts are caught in a whirlwind. When Kev pulls away from Missy, he turns to stare directly at her, his hands lingering on Missy's waist while she lays her cheek against his chest. I want to throttle her myself when she lifts her hand and blows a kiss at Rose, winking at her in the process.

"Thank you for showing my new slave around," Kev acknowledges Kendra while I clench my hands into fists.

...what are you doing here...Tresor.

You're the best brother ever!

Kev...do me a favor right now...

What's that?

Get the fuck out of Rose's sight!

--♗--

Covers/fan-art can be emailed to: [email protected]

|No Scheduled Updates|