Kaylee stood out in the foggy sunrise and looked down at her parent's grave while clutching the wooden stake in her hand so tightly it cut into her skin and caused bright red droplets of blood to drip onto the dew covered grass.
She took a deep breath to try to calm her growing anger when a familiar, comforting scent filled her nose. In the next instant she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist from behind and pull her close.
"Damien." she whispered as she leaned against him.
"I'm sorry, Kaylee." his deep soothing voice washed over her and she breathed in the rugged, smoky scent of the only man she had ever let herself fall in love with.
"Why Damien? Why my parents?"
"I wish I could take your pain away." he said gently.
'I want to kill him. I want to shove this stake through his heart." she said holding up the stake. Damien turned her in his arms and took the stake from her gently as she looked up at his face. Pain flashed in his light blue eyes as he looked down at the bloody cuts on her palm. He brought her palm to his mouth and pressed his firm lips against her bloody hand. She felt his demonic magic at work as the pain disappeared from her hand and the cuts healed.
"I will do what I can to help make that happen." Damien promised as he smoothed her red hair from her face and gave her a sad half smile.
"I know you will. You have always been there for me." Kaylee replied looking up at his pale face and running her hand through his blond hair. She saw a sadness cross his features and she frowned.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine. I'm just thinking about how unfair life can be at times. People who do not deserve to die are killed every day." he replied. 'And people who are made to be together are forced to be apart,' he thought to himself.
"Why don't you come inside with me, Damien? I need you with me."
"Are you sure?" Damien asked looking up at the large log mansion. "Your family will not welcome a demon into their home."
"They will once they know that you are not like the others. You are good. There is nothing evil about you."
"There is darling, just never toward you. I would do anything for you."
"Why?" Kaylee asked suddenly. Damien raised a brow.
"Why what?"
"Why would you do anything for me? Why have you always been here when I've needed you for twenty years?"
'Because you are my mate you beautiful wolf... But I have used demon magic to hide that from you because I know your family would never give us peace.' he thought to himself.
"Because I care very deeply for you." he replied as he brushed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "I do not think I should go in there right now. Everyone is angry and upset and they do not need to learn that you have befriended a demon just now. I will go find what I can about Vincent." Kaylee nodded because she knew he was right. Demons were considered evil and though she knew that Damien was not, there was no way she'd be able to convince her family of that before they killed him.
"Okay." she whispered sadly. Her heart broke whenever she had to say goodbye to Damien. She wanted nothing more than to be with him forever... But he was not her mate and she knew that one day she would have to say goodbye to him and give herself to someone else.
"Take care of yourself, Kaylee." he warned. "Stay safe." He gave her one last long look and then turned and faded into the shadows of the forest. Kaylee watched the place where he had disappeared for a long time before turning and walking slowly back to the house.
***
Vanessa awoke with the sun shining on her face and she realized with disappointment that she was alone. She stood from the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a pink form fitting t-shirt before taking a deep breath and opening the bedroom door. She knew that today was going to be a sad day as the family grieved and she wondered just how she was going to look everyone in the eye knowing that Vincent had killed Raquel and Evan to get to her.
She walked down the stairs and she could hear Faith's voice coming from the living room.
"She can't wear that, Kayleb. She is going to a ball with the prince."
"Well then what should she wear? I've never been a princess at a ball." Kayleb replied and Faith giggled. Vanessa felt her heart break at the sound of that giggle. She was going to miss hearing that. She quickly forced herself to smile and walked into the living room. Kayleb was sitting on the couch beside Faith and they were currently dressing Barbie dolls.
"Here uncle Kayleb." Kaitlyn said handing Kayleb a bright pink ball gown. "This is better for a ball." Kayleb held up his Barbie doll who was wearing a skimpy little white dress that showed her back and only came to the top of her tan thigh.
"If I was a prince and a woman showed up to the ball wearing this.... I would definitely dance with her." Kayleb argued and Kaitlyn slapped him in the arm.
"Don't slap him, Kaitlyn. Any man would dance with a woman wearing something like that." Lane said as he passed through the living room on his way toward the kitchen. He saw Vanessa standing there and smiled his toothy boyish smile and a mischievous twinkle came to his blue eyes.
"Good morning, Vanessa." he said more loudly than he needed to. Kayleb jumped up at the sound of her name and blushed crimson red.
"Here's your doll, Faith." he said quickly as he tossed the Barbie down on her lap.
"I'll change her dress for you." Faith replied. Kayleb moved away from her and walked toward Vanessa while still blushing.
"You're good with her." she said pointing at her daughter.
"It's just barbies and tea parties." he replied with a shrug.
"It's more than that." Vanessa replied and Kayleb nodded.
"Yeah I guess it is." he agreed. Vanessa pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and then walked around him and joined her daughter and Kaitlyn on the floor with the barbies.
It was around lunch before Vanessa worked up the courage to go into the kitchen were all of the women were gathered.
"Where have you been hiding all morning?" Rebecca asked when she walked in. Vanessa sat down at the table and looked down at her hands.
"I was playing with Faith." she replied. "She's watching cartoons in the living room with Gwen and Kaitlyn now." Jake walked into the kitchen and Vanessa stood quickly.
"Can I talk to you?" she asked. Jake gave her an odd look and then nodded before kissing Angela's forehead and patting his food covered son on the head.
"Come on." he said motioning for Vanessa to follow him. She walked on shaking legs and followed him out to the porch. She felt her bravery falter slightly when he turned to face her. There was something about Jake that scared the living hell right out of her.
"What are we talking about?" he asked as he crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest and looked down at her.
"Did Frances come last night?"
"Yes."
"Did he tell you anything useful?" she asked.
"Yeah, he said we should use you as bait." Vanessa's eyes widened.
"He did?" she gasped. She didn't want to be bait. She didn't want this family to fight Vincent over her. She could not be responsible for any more deaths.
"Don't worry. Kayleb jumped across the table and let him know real quick that that was not an option."
"Did he say anything else?" Vanessa asked.
"He said he doesn't know where to find him but that Vincent is his brother. Don't worry Vanessa we will get him." Vanessa looked over into the woods and rubbed her hands up and down over her arms.
"What if something happens to me? What if he kills me? What will happen to my daughter?" Jake was quiet a moment before responding.
"Don't you have family she could go to?" Vanessa shook her head.
"No. And Steven, her father, has no rights to her. He lost them because of his addiction." Jake nodded and tilted his head toward the house.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, but if it did your daughter would always have a home here. You are both part of this family now and we look out for each other." Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she could trust Jake. He might be intimidating and damn scary but there was also something about him that told you that you could believe every word he said.
"Did Frances leave?" she asked. Jake thought this was an odd question but shook his head.
"No, he's still here. He and his daughter Kimberly are sleeping down in the basement. He wants to stay here until his brother is killed because his own life and the life of his daughter are in danger now that he has spoken to us." Vanessa nodded and Jake walked away from her and back into the house.
Frances was her ticket to Vincent. Clearly Frances was open to giving her to Vincent and she would let him. She just had to wait for the cover of darkness. She walked back into the house to share the last few hours she had left with her daughter and Kayleb.