Chapter 15
(Seth's magic at work)
Seth
It's been week since I've fully mated with my vampire, and the surprises that I've had to deal with since that fateful night just kept coming. My missing in action grandmother had finally decided to make an appearance, and with her visit she imparted some long overdue information. To be honest, I didn't know whether to be pissed off or elated over the fact that I'm considered a warlock, and supposedly a powerful one at that.
Etienne and my grandmother had explained that the reason I'm considered more powerful was because I was born to warlock parents, both my mother and father were full bloodied, born warlocks, therefore, making me a pure blood. After so many centuries of human DNA mixed with paranormal species due to living amongst one another. It is unheard of to be a pure blood, a rarity in fact. Over the years, the Fates had evolved the balance so humans became the majority and multiple paranormal beings became the minority.
There had been so much fighting and feuds going on between the supernatural clans trying to one up one another. Trying to prove which species were superior to the other. The Fates had gotten fed up and made it so, the humans became he dominant species and mates to mythical beings, rendering the bloodlines and magical powers to a diluted version of what they were.
Another bit of stunning news was from my mated himself, he decided to share a piece of information that is not widely known by anyone, other than those he's trusted in his coven. Namely Jacques, Remy, Sebastian, and few other of his loyal guards. I recalled when I'd just, met my vampire, and I asked him what he was, and he'd cryptically replied, he was a vampire amongst other things. I never dreamed of what the explanation of the other things could be.
It seems that my fated mate was not only a vampire, sired by one of the original ancients, meaning that he was stronger than the average vampire. When Etienne was turned however many centuries ago, it was during a rather rampaging feud between the warlocks and vampire clans. Etienne had been a prisoner of that war so to speak, and his sire had been totally enamored with him.
Etienne was captured, he was a young beautiful, a pureblood warlock himself and he was purposely turned by his vampire sire in secret. The act alone was considered totally taboo, and no one knew what the outcome would have been, turning a witch into a vampire. When the blood madness had taken over, Etienne had lost all control of his magic. His powers had been enhanced by his new-found vampire abilities. Young and terrified, his powers escaped his control and he killed everything with a heartbeat and then some within a fifty-mile radius when he was in the grips of his blood lust.
Etienne's history was not a pretty one. He'd wiped out nearly half the vampire coven, including his sire, and much of the warlocks who were still in the middle of feuding over power and territories. The elders had to step in and they had called for an immediate pact between the two species. They'd taken Etienne in hand not knowing what to do with such a powerful being. If it wasn't for Jacques' and Etienne's parents who had sworn on their lives to train Etienne and teach him how to control the two sides of himself, then the elders would've otherwise had to put him down.
The truth of Etienne's hybrid nature was a well-kept secret amongst the vampires. The warlocks weren't even aware that such a being existed. Those who may have guessed, those who had survived and managed to tell their tale, were seen as eccentrics, story tellers embellishing on a legend that doesn't exist. The elders had kept their mouths shut, and like any old historical tale, it completely changed with each retelling and morphed into something else as time went by.
During the day while Etienne rested, I spent my time absorbing every word in my grandmother's diary. I would only put it down when Remy demanded my attention. It was almost comical the change that has occurred within the walls of Etienne's home. Now, that I'm rightfully mated. Etienne had called a coven meeting to announce our mating and introduced me to the vampires that made up his close-knit family. Everyone from the guards, to the families residing under the protection to Etienne's care.
The story of how he came to be a coven leader was still unfolding and my mind was working overtime trying to absorb all the information it's been processing so far. Etienne's history alone was mind boggling. For someone who has lived as long as he has, seen what he's seen, and his wealth of experience sometimes made me feel extremely inadequate, an improper choice as a mate to someone so spectacular.
But trust my man to see past all my insecurities and has repeatedly tried to reinforce the fact that the Fates had chosen me specifically, for him. He's went on to tell me that I am more precious than anything he has ever encountered on all of his life, and it he who is not worthy of me. Now tell me how that does make my heart melt right in the middle of my chest. If I didn't know that I was already in live with my vampire, I would've certainly known it then.
Resting the diary on my lap, I closed my eyes and tested one of my new-found abilities. I had almost dropped off the chair I was sitting on the library one day when Etienne's voice had suddenly penetrated my thoughts. He began to whisper the naughtiest things to me. What a way to find out that we shared a mind link as mates.
Our link was a very strong one, I'd sat there squirming in my seat while Remy lamented about his mate, Sebastian. My little friend asked me if I could turn his unromantic mate into something like a gargoyle or a garden gnome. Something he can set outside for all eternity and not have to deal with at all. Etienne had continued to torment all day for the remainder of the day, by the time I cornered him in his office, and the minute his large hand brushed against my engorged cock, I'd gone off like a rocket-launched firecracker on the Fourth of July.
Now it was my turn, Etienne should be awake by now, and since he hasn't sought me out as of yet, that only meant that Jacques or Sebastian had gotten to him first with a million and one things concerning coven business. Well, all that is going to have to wait until my cravings were satisfied and I got to spend a little quality time with my mate.
The concerns of the coven were important, but they would still be there an hour later. Our time spent to together reaffirming our bond and making it stronger was not only for our benefit, but also for the greater good of the coven. A happy leader, was a strong leader, and I needed to my little bit of happiness as well. I haven't taken blood from Etienne since our mating.
The effect his blood had on me scared me at first because I didn't understand what it was that I was feeling. We shared everything during a feeding, our thoughts, our feelings and emotions. Especially our desire for each other. We connected on such a level, words cannot describe it. It was like our souls are joined together as one. I was feeling the urgency for Etienne, it felt like a hollow, empty void had opened up in my gut and nothing other than getting to my mate will ease the emptiness.
Taking a deep breath, I cleared my mind of everything except for Etienne. Like a GPS navigation system, I thought about his location and a small gasp hissed through my lips when a light flickered in my head. The light turned into a small, bright orb of white light that slowly grew bigger and bigger until I was looking at something that resembled a large oval screen.
Shadowed figures began to flash across the screen and I tried to focus on what I was seeing. The image cleared and my jaw dropped at the sight I was seeing in my head. It was Etienne clear as day. He was seated behind his massive desk in his library with Jacques and Sebastian seated on the other side. They were discussing something, but I was so busy looking at my gorgeous mate and his guards to register what was being said.
Etienne has never mentioned being able to actually see what I was doing when he attempted the mind link with me. He just said that he is able to speak to me. He was able to feel my emotions. Shit, my eyes flashed opened and I jumped to my feet. I had to go see if the picture in my head matched the reality of what is actually happening. Did I just have a vision or am I able to locate and see what my mate is doing in real time.
The guards stationed outside my bedroom door jumped when I yanked it wide open and raced down the hall towards Etienne's library. They no longer tried to stop me from going wherever in the house I needed to go in order to find Etienne. I believe there were two reasons behind my new-found freedom. The first is that I'm officially mated, but the real reason I believe is that they are afraid I'll change them into some type of farm animal for however long the spell took to wear off.
Skidding to a halt in front of the library doors, I waved me hand and the doors opened. Another neat little trick I discovered while practicing my magic. But never mind that, there sat all three men just like I seen them in the picture in my head. They were wearing the exact same clothes, seated in the exact same positions. Except for now, all heads were turned in my direction and they were all looking at me as if I'd lost my mind.
I stood there fidgeting as I studied the same scene I saw just moments before in my mind. I had no clue of how I was going to explain myself to my mate and his friends. I wondered if they'll think that I've finally lost it and gone crazy. I tilted my head to the side and stared at my mate who was looking at me without one iota of surprise on his handsome face. Not like his two most trusted guards who were sitting there, gaping at me like I have two heads on my shoulders.
"I need to talk to you. It's important." I managed to say through clenched teeth. Was this another situation where there are bits of information my mate decided not to share with me, and if so why. It's not like it can hurt me, can it?
I watched my mate rise from behind his desk and walk towards me. My hands curls into fists at my sides, and a pulse of energy ran through my body. Sebastian and Jacques quickly got to their feet and mumbled something about having to be somewhere before they all but ran out of the room.
Etienne held up two hands like one would when they are surrendering. "Now baby, I can feel your confusion and your anger. You need to calm down." He whispered as if he was trying to placate a misbehaving, irrational child.
If someone had asked me what I'd been thinking at the time I did what I'd done in that particular moment, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. All I could recall was the feelings of overwhelming anger, and unfairness of it all. My body felt like it was going to meltdown, and there my mate was standing in the middle of the room looking like he knew something I didn't and it just upset me all the more.
My identity was kept from me my entire life for my safety. My magic was bound until I met my mate for my safety. I wasn't told what I am capable of doing for my safety. I was tired of being the last one to know. I was pissed that no one saw how unfair it was to me, that combined with my blood lust for mate set me off.
The next thing I knew was that I'd raised both hands over my chest, and there was a flash of bright lights coming from the palm of my hand. It was quick, like a lightning strike that illuminated the entire room for mere seconds, enough to blind me for a few minutes. I had to blink my eyes over and over again in attempts to clear my vision, and in a sense.
I wish I'd gone blind altogether. Because when my vision cleared, my vampire was crouched on top of his desk. Etienne's gorgeous dark eyes had gone blood red, and his lethal fangs with their razor-sharp tips and dropped well past his bottom lip as he bared them at me.
Unbeknownst to me and the reckless use of my magic, aimed towards him this time had awakened that dormant beast. The dark side of who he is, the monster my mate has so diligently fought to keep its baser nature under control. The side of himself with that never ending need to hunt, to pursue, to conquer what it felt was his right. Etienne's vampire was fully awake, and the look in those swirling red orbs gave me one clear message.
Run.