STEFAN (Completed)

Part 50

Liesl sat in one of the rooms, surrounded by her daughters, Zoë, Iulia and Sharon.

"We need to do something to help Lorena," she said. "She is in a lot of pain. We need to get Stefan to show an interest in her for it's been confirmed that she is his true mate and therefore your sister."

The women had heard about the sad incident and sympathised with Lorena but the other woman wasn't responding to anyone's kindness.

"She was forced out of her shell by your Bunic and is presently away from the palace with him. He is insistent on bringing her back to life whether she likes it or not." Liesl explained to them. "Hopefully, by the time they return she would be in a more receptive mood."

They had kept away from Lorena when she was a prisoner in the palace because Ilianu had demanded it of them but after they had been told what she had been through, the women had sought to make friends with the mortal woman but she was caught up in her pain at the loss of her babies. She hadn't uttered a word since Stefan's visit. There had seemed to be no way of getting to her. But it was good to hear that Dumitru had found a way to get her to react.

"Between us, we are going to make your brother realise what he has been missing. Now this is the plan."

********

Stefan could perceive Miguel's fear although the other vampire did a good job of hiding it.

"You were better off when your only offence was torturing me and sending those Renegades to violate me. You should have left things that way but no, you had to go ahead to make it personal by murdering my sons."

"Surely, you didn't think I was going to have a bloody Enforcer father my grandchildren?" Miguel jeered. "That little slut of a daughter may have thought that it was okay but there was no way I was going to let that happen. If I had a second chance, I would do more than mutilate them. I would have fed on their tiny bodies and left you with the bones."

"You bastard." Stefan swore beneath his breath.

Miguel laughed.

"I am not afraid of dying," Miguel informed Stefan. "Your Bunic has already damaged me, so by killing me you would actually be doing me a huge favour. But can you live with the things you have done? Can you live with the knowledge that you killed one of your sons in a bid to hurt your true mate?"

"Lorena is not my true mate." Stefan swore.

"Then you are a fool. She's been living under your roof for years and you never noticed. You must be really daft. How could you not have guessed? The foolish child came unto you even when you looked like a corpse. She wouldn't have done that unless she had a link to you. But you hated her because you thought she was my biological child. You hurt her in ways that were unimaginable. You killed one of her sons in your anger and because you didn't care to find out how much harm you had caused her when you attacked her mind. You have to live with that knowledge for the rest of your life and the thought of that alone makes me a happy vampire. I shall die a very satisfied vampire."

"Assuming but not conceding that she is my true mate, she will find a way to forgive me." Stefan told him. "She never could resist me but you are going to pay for all your sins with your life."

"She won't forgive you for this. All her life she has always wanted to feel a sense of belonging. Her arms have ached for the feel of her own babies and you deprived her of that. Do you think you can live with that? Do you actually think that she would forgive you so easily for depriving her of her wish? She has always known that I hate her so she expects nothing good from me. But the same cannot be said about you."