Not All Bonds Can Be Trusted

"I tried to alert Lady Persephone," Kingsley Wright, the butler of this grand villa, told Derrick and that insufferable, rude... and sinfully breathtaking vampire with him. They had found him and they were currently interrogating the poor vampire in the office attached to the library. "But the intruder overwhelmed me before I could do so."

She watched the vampire squirm underneath the intense eyes of that imbecile. Yes. Imbecile. That vampire was an absolutely wicked soul. After finding out that the vampire was her bloody mate (which was already a frustration in itself), he threw a dagger right at her. Sure, it truly wasn't truly at her, but she didn't know that! The imbecile couldn't be trusted. Her body and her heart couldn't be trusted. Those traitorous facets were already bristling with curiosity over the bloody imbecile.

She could only trust her mind. Her mind was telling her that he was all kinds of dangerous. He was. He threw a dagger at her... or rather too bloody close to her. He didn't seem to care that he put her life at risk. She was obviously disposable to him. Had she been the only one to feel that spark coarse through like a lightening bolt the moment their eyes met?

His amethyst eyes never showed any semblance of recognition. They were the same -- devoid of any true emotion. He just had to be an infamous Devereux, but maybe, it was for the best in the long run. She knew she could never leave the coven. She could never abandon them. She had met Apollo Devereux due to his close association with Derrick. Apollo had only one brother, Helios Devereux, and Helios obviously could care less about her.

It would make things easier for her. It truly would. The painful chill of hollow emptiness tinged with heartache seeped into her bones. Even if it could never end well between her and her intended mate, she had hoped that they would fight for her, change her mind, and convince her that somehow it could work between them. Helios would rather frighten her and send a dagger at her.

"I truly apologize, Lady Persephone," Kingsley gasped, forcing her out of her bleak thoughts.

She was about to respond when Helios cut in. "You do know that's not her, right?"

"Of course, Lord Helios," the butler told him. "I've served the High House of Cristos for a very long time. I know when I'm in the presence of one of the masters."

Derrick raised an eyebrow to that. "Why did you let her in? Why are you letting us stay? I know you can drudge up the High House of Cristos innate power to disband us."

"She has a very beautiful and genuine soul," he told them. "She wouldn't cause harm to anyone unless it is deserved. The masters would never allow anyone who intended to cause any harm within this villa without the warning bells going off. The alarms didn't go off when she walked inside while it did for the intruder." He smirked at the two vampires. "I'm not bloody foolish to eradicate two High Blood Lords from the premise. Besides, the alarms would still be sounding if you weren't welcome after you subdued the intruder, but they aren't going off."

"Invisible alarms that only the High House of Cristos and their servants can hear?" Helios remarked, nodding his head. "They say the Devereuxs are clever and cunning."

"Devereuxs are devious, dangerous, and dastardly," Aurora growled out, causing amethyst eyes to pin her in place.

Helios smirked. "Still testy about my well aimed dagger?"

"I can throw my well aimed dagger too," she snapped back before she gave a smile to Kingsley. "There is no need to apologize."

Kingsley glanced back and forth between her and Helios before a small smile crossed his face. He bowed to her. "Miss Sharpe has arrived to cook for all of you. Please feel at home. A late lunch shall be served in a little while. I'll have Bernadette serve you show tea and refreshments in the..."

"Library," Derrick suggested.

"Certainly." With that, Kingsley nodded and turned to leave, but Derrick walked toward him.

"Would you show me one of your guestrooms so I can take a shower and freshen up?" he requested hopefully.

Kingsley nodded. "Of course. Come this way."

Both Derrick and Kingsley departed. Belatedly realizing she was alone with the one vampire stirring up all types of irrational emotions within her, she tried to quickly leave. Before she could make her escape, she internally groaned when she felt Helios' hand wrap around her wrist.

His touch elicited a bolt of pleasure. She cursed her fae heritage. Faes knew their mates by touch, sight, and soul. Their mate would know, because they would discern them the same way. On top of that, vampires had intuition when it came to their mate. The taste and scent of their mate's blood was the truth sealer, but it was the intuition and awareness that drove them.

"Fascinating," he murmured. His amethyst eyes shimmered, glowing a bit red while he took in her face. "So it is true, you are my mate."

She flushed in humiliation. Of course, he had figured it out. He had felt it... and still flung a bloody dagger at her!

Disposable doll. She was something he'd cast aside. Just like her sister was -- a disposable doll he did cast aside once her value to him diminished.

Quickly shoving him back, she tried to rush out of the office to get into the library. She needed distance from him. His presence was overwhelming her.

"Calm down," he whispered as he gathered her in his arms.

She hated the flood of comfort and peace his embrace actually made her feel. He made her feel protected even though he was dangerous. He could make her feel at home and at ease even though he would just use their connection to their advantage like Magus Finneas Exodus did to Estelle.

"Release me," she gasped, fighting against him.

"Not until you stop running away."

He held her closer and she just wanted to melt into him. She just wanted to trust her body and her heart, but her mind knew the truth. He would use her like Finneas did to Estelle. There was no point in hoping for something she wasn't supposed to have. Look what Estelle did to the coven for giving into the matebond between her and Finneas! No! She wasn't like her sister. She refused to repeat history and her past mistakes. She knew better.

"It doesn't matter what we are to each other," she growled out. Tears filled her eyes. She wouldn't be the weak link. Her family heritage wouldn't be the weak link anymore or ever again. "It can never happen. I won't leave the coven. The life I live doesn't leave any hope to dream of fairytales."

He released her and spun her around to face him. Her heart twisted as she gazed up into his confused eyes. Those amethyst eyes searched hers, seeking out answers to her painful secrets.

"I understand," he finally said. "I've forfeited my immortal life to my family legacy and cause." The note of defeat caused insurmountable pain to swallow her whole. He was agreeing with her and her entire world was shattering before her. "But I'm not afraid of the weight of our responsibilities to the people and causes we cherish. Our alliance will only strengthen one another and those that we associate."

"For how long though? Associations can change in a blink of an eye," she argued, shaking her head.

"I'm not like Derrick," he told her, causing her to freeze for a moment. Derrick had been a constant im her life. "I won't walk away and leave my mate, because he's afraid of a future that might not happen."

Aurora's eyes widened in shock. Derrick had found his mate and walked away from her. Off course he did with how everything was panning out. Why would he offer his mate a promise of a future when he can't truly promise her a future?

Helios chuckled, drawing her attention. He shook his head and then sighed. "Both you and Derrick are quite alike with letting fear consume you. My sister won't allow fear to dictate the opportunity to build a future together and I certainly won't allow that same brand of fear keep us apart either."

"That's rich coming from someone who quite recently threw a bloody dagger at me!"

"Again with the dagger!" he growled back. "It was a well aimed dagger that wasn't intended for you--"

"But it could've hit me!" she cried out. "What if it did? Did you ever think about that? How carelessly cavalier you are worth other people's lives--"

"Your concerns with the what if scenarios will be your downfall." His eyes flashed, forcing her to swallow thickly at the intensity of his gaze. "I know my own capabilities of warrior and I wouldn't have taken any action if I truly believed I would harm anyone other than the one I intended."

"How can you truly be certain?" she questioned.

"Aurora, I'm a trained warrior and assassin. I'm highly skilled with weaponry." He quirked his eyebrow. "If I was poisoned by Lyntbale, you would know how to treat it, yes?" Aurora frowned at the shift in conversation, but she nodded her head. "My life would be in your hands if you got it wrong, yes?"

"I wouldn't get the antidote wrong," she told him softly.

"Why should I believe that?" he asked. Before she could respond, he answered for her. "Because you were trained and mastered your trade just like I was trained and mastered my own." Her heart clenched at the comparison. Her heart raced as his amethyst eyes hardened. "Here's the true heart of the matter, Aurora. You don't trust me, which is understandable. You just met me. It'll take time to truly get up know one another, but you also don't trust yourself and the essence of our bond."

"Not all bonds can be trusted." Her tone was clipped. He didn't understand. He wouldn't understand. She couldn't be like him. She knew the truth and she refuse to follow the same footsteps as her sister.

His eyes never left hers. "True, but I frankly don't give a damn about other bonds. I only care about ours."

There was the sound of squeaky wheels being wheeled inside. Both Aurora and Helios glanced over at the poor girl, looking very much like a panicked deer, staring at them with her hands gripping the cart handle.

"T-Tea, biscuits, cheese, crackers, and cookies?" she gasped. Her cheeks and entire face were now a stunning rosy shade.