Authors: Diane Alberts
“Okay, but I want to meet this paragon of a man, and soon,” Marie grumbled while climbing into bed.
“Yeah, sure,” she replied before closing the door and walking downstairs.
She couldn’t help but feel she had just escaped torture as she sat on the couch cradling her head in her hands. She’d missed Marie. God, she had. But now didn’t seem like a good time for a visit. Louisa lurked nearby. Close enough for the Enforcers to sense, but smart enough to evade capture.
And to top it off, Isaac would not be able to stay inside to protect them, so it left them even more vulnerable. She’d never hear the end of the tirade Marie would throw her way if she knew he had all but moved in. So, she needed to hide it.
And hide it good, darn it.
She ran to her phone to call Isaac.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Isaac, we have a bit of an issue.”
“I’ll be there in two minutes,” he said in a rush and hung up. She sighed at his quick response and walked outside. She hadn’t meant to pull him away from work, but if he’d come on foot—and he probably had—he was already halfway here.
She might as well tell him in person, and maybe get a kiss or two to hold her over. She paced across the walkway for a few steps before deciding to head into the woods for more privacy. She didn’t want Marie to overhear them. And besides, Isaac could follow her scent.
She found a cozy clearing and sat on a stone to await Isaac. Not long after, she heard a twig snap behind her, and she jumped to her feet, eager to feel his arms close around her and hold her close. His lips were compressed, and his face shuttered. She stopped in mid-flight to his arms.
“It’s okay, nothing’s wrong. I just had some bad news.”
He didn’t seem to hear her, asking instead, “Why are you here, Sabrina?”
“Here? You mean in the woods? I wanted privacy. What’s the problem?” she asked in confusion, before an idea dawned on her. “Oh, God, is there another mongrel loose?”
“No, I’m sorry. I guess I’m a bit paranoid after your phone call. Why do you need privacy?” He quickly changed the subject as he ran his hand through his hair.
Well, he’d obviously been upset by something if he did
that
.
“My sister decided to surprise me with a visit. I have no doubt it’s because she wants to meet you, and see what’s going on between us. She already found your shirt in my room.” Sabrina sighed.
He cringed. “Oh, well this does complicate things. I’m guessing she wouldn’t like to see her sister spending every night with a man she just met?”
“No, she wouldn’t. She’s already given me the third degree about how much time we spend together, and why your shirt is here, etcetera.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, shit.”
He opened his arms, and she catapulted into their welcoming warmth.
Heaven
.
“Do I get to meet this sister?”
“Yes, she already commanded she wants to meet you, and soon.” She giggled.
He chuckled in return. “Tonight, or should we wait until tomorrow?”
“Hmm, maybe tomorrow would be better. Make it seem like we didn’t already have plans. I’ll give her my undivided attention tonight.”
“Ugh, I don’t like this. Can I at least sneak into your room at night?”
She laughed, and though he sounded like he joked, she knew he didn’t. And, God, she wanted to say yes.
“You could try.” She waited until his eyes lit up before continuing. “If you enjoy spooning a six-month pregnant woman who kicks.”
He groaned dramatically. “The baby or the woman?”
“Both!” She responded.
“So, if she’s in your bed, that means you’ll be on the couch?”
“Yup. Don’t worry, it’s a comfortable couch.”
“Yes, I remember.” He winked. “I
much
prefer the bed, though. So how long will we be forced to be apart? Oh, I sounded mean, didn’t I? Let me rephrase: how long will your sister be visiting?”
“I didn’t get to ask her yet,” she replied. “She was tired, and I wanted to let you know….”
“Ah, well hopefully it will go by fast. No offense or anything.”
“But what about Louisa? What if she gets to my pregnant sister?”
“Connor will be nearby, like usual. He’ll just have to practice being less visible, is all.” He assured her as he gave her a light squeeze. “It’s good for him to test his skills sometimes.”
She breathed a sigh of relief and burrowed deeper into his muscular chest. “Let’s go and get you inside. I’d rather you stayed indoors until we can hunt down Louisa. Maybe tonight I’ll work on doing exactly that, since you won’t be seeing me until tomorrow.” He frowned as his eyes took in every inch of her face.
“I guess it would be a good thing to do. But please, for me, be careful.”
He smiled and kissed her nose. “I will. I promise. Nothing will stop me from returning. I want to attempt another experiment when your sister leaves.” He waggled his eyebrows, and she giggled.
He’d removed her worries over his safety for now. But she really hated it when he left her.
Really
.
***
Elijah jumped from the cover of the tall tree as Isaac and Sabrina headed back to her house, hand in hand. Watching their intimacy hurt more than he could imagine. Their closeness appeared more than physical. It seemed like they were in
love
.
He hadn’t been gone that long, had he?
Isaac planned on leaving tonight. Elijah had heard him say so. He would chase Louisa—just as Elijah had been doing the past few weeks. Elijah wished him all the luck in the world. Lord knew he’d been chasing her shadow the past few days, to no avail.
And while he’d been chasing the bitch, Isaac had been lounging in Sabrina’s arms.
Bastard
.
Now, the tables were reversing, and Isaac would be on the chase, leaving him to gather the spoils of war. He loved Sabrina, too. He even loved her enough to let her go if it seemed to be in her best interest. He had yet to be convinced it was, however.
He needed to see her. Soon.
It was unavoidable.
***
For purely selfish reasons, Isaac didn’t alert Sabrina of Elijah’s presence in the clearing. He remained terrified that if she saw him again, history would repeat itself. He didn’t know how he would cope if she chose Elijah over him—
again
.
Jealousy alone didn’t keep him quiet, though. Elijah posed a danger to her. He’d become a monster, a mockery of a human shell.
Like you’re any better?
Well, he didn’t want to drink her blood, for starters. He turned into a monster, part of the time. And, hell, part-time would always beat full-time.
Damn it
.
If she picked Elijah, she chose to become one of them. A monster. She would also become his enemy, and he’d be forced to hunt them down like the beasts they were.
Kill
Sabrina? Over his dead body—which would be easily arranged if he turned traitor. He needed to keep Elijah away from her. And even more importantly, away from
Louisa
. Nothing would stop him from keeping her safe.
Nothing
.
Chapter Ten
Marie woke in a much better mood than she’d arrived in, leaving Sabrina relieved. She smiled, laughed, and investigated every square inch of the house excitedly. After seeing the entire house, she asked if they could go for a walk in the woods. The crisp fall afternoon breeze invigorated Sabrina as it whipped through her hair, blinding her each time it covered her eyes. By mid-afternoon, they strolled in companionable silence through the woods.
“You’re quiet,” Marie commented.
“Am I?”
“Yes. As a matter of fact, you’ve been quiet for weeks. Ever since you came to England. No, scratch that. You’ve been quiet ever since you met Isaac. So I could take it in one of two ways. Number one: you’re so enthralled by him you can think of nothing else. And as such, are lost in daydream land. Number two: something’s wrong.”
“Or number three: you’re a paranoid pregnant woman who needs to relax,” Sabrina teased. “Honestly, Marie, I’m fine. Do I look hurt? Depressed? Obsessed?”
“Hmm. Well, you do look stressed. Like something’s bothering you.”
“Nothing’s bothering me. Now relax and drop it, okay?”
They walked in silence, until she realized they were at the same spot Isaac and she had been earlier. Sabrina paused to look around, suddenly unsure of their position. Something bothered him about this location; she could feel it.
Nothing appeared amiss, though. They were in the forest, but in a spot that looked like it had been cleared, either by man or nature. A bubbling stream ran nearby, making a calming sound. Something tugged at the back of her mind. As if she should
remember
this place.
Sabrina brushed aside her uneasiness and admired the autumn trees turning beautiful shades of red and orange. In the spring, she imagined, the leaves would be a brilliant green, and the ground would be a landscape of budding flowers.
Spotting a fallen tree nearby, she sat down and patted the spot next to her. Marie lowered herself upon the trunk while placing a supporting hand on her stomach. Sabrina sighed and laid her head on Marie’s shoulder.
“I know you worry about and love me, but I promise I’m happy. If there were something wrong, you know I’d talk to you,” she reassured Marie.
Except about Isaac being an Enforcer, and Elijah being a vampire. Oh yeah, and this other vampire, Louisa, wants me dead because I stole Elijah away from her in another life. And Elijah wants to kill Isaac, and vice versa. But besides that, all is normal.
I promise
.
Marie sighed. “Okay, I’ll let you off the hook. Part of me feared I’d come here to find you miserable, alone, and ready to come home. Of course, part of me wished it as well,” she said shamefacedly. “I miss you, Bree.”
She smiled at the use of her childhood nickname before replying, “I miss you, too, sis. I do. But I love it here, and I’m not leaving. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. You have every right to be happy. I just want you be careful, too. Don’t let this Isaac guy in too far just because you are alone. Don’t let him fill a void you feel, simply because you feel it. I know you are not the type to be alone.” Marie put a hand up to stop Sabrina’s indignant response, and she forced herself to bite back her angry denial and crossed her arms across her chest. “I also know you well enough to know you will latch onto someone you feel is right for you, even if he isn’t, because you feel you
should
. So please, keep a distance. Toe the water a bit, before jumping in. For me?”
Sabrina sighed in exasperation before she blatantly lied. “He’s not here every day and he’s not an obsession or a toy I’ve acquired. I like him a lot and that’s all. Really. I’ll even let you meet him.”
“Oh, really? When?” Marie perked up and straightened excitedly. Sabrina couldn’t tell if she feigned eagerness, or told the truth.
“How about tomorrow night, if he’s free? We’ll all go out for dinner. I thought tonight you and I could have some time alone,” Sabrina explained.
“Sounds perfect to me.”
“Good. How long are you visiting?”
“Three days. I leave Friday morning,” Marie stated.
“Gotcha.” Sabrina sighed. “Well, you ready to head back?”
“Sure. This place is kind of creepy.” Marie shuddered.
“You think? I find it peaceful.”
Marie snickered. “You have changed. Let’s go.”
Were the changes really so obvious?
***
Sabrina fought off the butterflies attempting to overrun her stomach. Tonight, Marie and Isaac were going to meet. She knew they would get along great, if Marie let go of her preconceived notions. She also desperately hoped any creatures, be they werewolves or vampires, stayed away. That, she thought as she chuckled, was one side of her life she’d rather her sister not see.
She yawned and rubbed her temples in aggravation. She had tossed and turned on the couch all night long, getting little sleep. Geez, she probably looked like crap. Isaac would think she was a zombie and smite her on the spot. She almost laughed aloud at the thought.
Until she wondered if zombies actually existed.
A knock sounded at the door, and Sabrina—who could feel Marie’s eyes studying her every movement—walked demurely to the door to open it. She longed to run into his arms and greet him properly, and see the answering yearning in his blue gaze. It may have been one day spent apart, but it seemed like so much more.
“Come in.” She smiled at the mere sight of him. Who knew her happiness could depend so much upon simply being able to set eyes upon a man?
Fascinating
.
Her heart raced excitedly, and she felt her cheeks flush with heat.
He stopped at her side to give her a sweet kiss on the cheek and a hand squeeze. “Hello, Sabrina,” he whispered in her ear, causing her to tremble.
Gathering her wits about her, she turned to Marie. “Marie, this is Isaac. Isaac, this is my sister, Marie.” She swallowed a laugh when she saw Marie staring at him with her mouth hanging open in shock.
Freaking priceless
.
Isaac walked over to her and shook her hand.
“Hello, Marie. It’s a pleasure to meet you. In the short time I’ve known Sabrina”—he turned to Sabrina and winked at her over his shoulder—“I’ve heard so much about you. All good, I promise.”
Marie flushed and snatched her hand back. Though Isaac’s back faced her, Sabrina would be willing to bet a million dollars he’d just unleashed both dimples upon Marie.
“Nice to meet you, too. I’ve also heard quite a bit about you. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
Walking to Sabrina’s side, Marie snatched her arm. “Shall we?”
“Ladies first,” Isaac replied.
“You could have told me he looked so unbelievably gorgeous,” she whispered furiously in Sabrina’s ear.
She laughed out loud at the anger in her sister’s voice.
“Shh,” Marie exclaimed. “He’ll hear you.”
He hears everything we’re saying, my dear
.