Chapter Eighteen
A pounding headache woke me up. The searing pain behind my eyes made me throw my arm over my face. Or, at least attempt to. Something heavy was weighing my arm down. I slowly peaked an eye open and gasped.
A shirtless Rowan lay beside me on his stomach, his arm thrown over my stomach and his leg tangled up in mine. I felt him absentmindedly pull me closer to him, his hand flat against my side. I held my breath, not sure what to do.
Why am I sleeping next to Rowan? I used my free arm to check under the blankets. I let out a small sigh of relief when I saw that I was wearing clothes. Though, they aren't mine. I tried to look around, but the mere movement made my vision blur and my head pound louder.
What the hell happened last night?
I blinked slightly, trying to think back. I remember clubbing with Mal and Amilia. I remember a lot of dancing. I vaguely remember a guy, but I can't properly grasp what he looked like. And then... Rowan. He intervened between me and the guy. And we danced. My cheeks started to heat as I remembered how I wanted to dance on him. God, he probably thinks I'm a slut.
I remember him carrying me out of the club. I remember puking in front of him, which is probably one of the most mortifying things I could ever do. He cleaned me up, which is way more than he should have. He should have just dumped my drunk ass on my bed and left me for the rest of the night.
But I'm in his room. Why am I in his room? I racked my brain, but only bits and pieces were coming back from after I puked. Did I... ask him to bring me here? Oh god, I think I did.
A flash of memory hit me. Of me under Rowan. Of me practically begging him to have sex with me... Jesus Christ. Oh my god. I... god. He's going to hate me.
I remember him throwing himself off of me. Something about wanting to have sex but not wanting to take advantage of me. Thank god for that. I don't know what I would've done if we actually had sex. My first time would've been drunk off my ass with barely any memories of the actual event.
Rowan groaned and turned his head. I stared down at his chiseled features, soft and asleep. I don't think I've ever seen him look this vulnerable before. His soft curls were brushing against his face, his thick lashes coating his cheeks. His lips were slightly parted, breaths coming out softly. I had the sudden urge to reach over and brush my fingers over his face.
I shook my head and forced myself to not do that. That would be weird on so many levels. Borderline stalker. I am so not a stalker.
I took another peak in his direction and practically shit my pants. Rowan's eyes were open, staring into mine. He had a small smirk on his face, and he made no move to remove himself from practically on top of me.
"Um," I stuttered. "Good morning?"
Rowan chuckled, the sound raspy and filled with sleep. "Good morning."
"I- ah. I'm not really sure what to say except that I'm so sorry. And thank you," I muttered, looking down.
Rowan slowly removed his leg and arm from on top of me and sat up. "You have nothing to apologize for."
I laughed and shook my head. "I have everything to apologize for. I'm so mortified."
"You are definitely a lot wilder when you're drunk," Rowan informed me, wiggling his eyebrows.
I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. "Just kill me now."
Rowan chuckled again and got up. He came back moments later with a cup of water and two pills in his hand. I took them gratefully. Our hands brushed, and it just brought memories back from last night. I tried to push them away and fight the blush, but it was hard.
I sighed and turned to Rowan after chugging the water. "Seriously, thank you. For taking care of me. For not letting me practically rape you."
Rowan threw his head back and laughed. "You did not almost rape me."
"I definitely did. And I am so sorry. I don't know why I did that. Not that it would be so horrible but I- god I need to shut up."
Rowan took a seat next to me and gently touched my chin so that I would face him. "Freya. I know. It's okay. And trust me, I wanted it just as badly as you did. But it wasn't the right time."
I nodded slowly. I took a shaky breath and scooted away a bit. Being this close to him in his bed and wearing his clothes is not going to lead to good things. In that moment, my stomach started to gurgle and I groaned.
I stood up and rushed to the bathroom. This time, I didn't make it to the toilet. I puked on the floor, in the sink. Rowan was there instantly, holding my hair back again as it was already half out of the bun he put it in. God, not again.
"Why don't you take a shower. I'll clean this up, okay?"
I sighed, but nodded. I stepped into the shower, closing the door before slipping out of my clothes. I threw them over the door, hoping they landed somewhere not in puke. Then I turned the water on as hot as I could bare. It was cold at first, but even that felt good. I grabbed a random body wash and lathered it onto the loofa.
Instantly, I knew it was Rowan's body wash. His woodsy scent filled the air almost immediately. Not wanting to waste the soap, I used it anyways. I ended up washing my body three times before I was sure all the grime was off of me. My hair was even worse.
By the time I was done, it had probably been about 45 minutes. Oh well. I turned the water off and opened the door just a crack to make sure Rowan was gone. He was. He also left me a towel on the toilet seat and a clean pair of clothes on the sink.
I smiled to myself and towel dried myself off. Once I was dry, I twisted my hair up into the towel and stood up. The cool air against my bare skin caused goosebumps to erupt. I quickly put on the clothes Rowan left for me.
He left me a pair of his sweatpants that I had to roll up a few times, but I didn't mind because the softness of them made me sigh in content. He also left me one of my own tank tops, which makes me wonder why he didn't just leave me my own pair of pants. I shrugged and brushed through my hair. I gave up after a while and threw it up into a messy bun. It's just one of those days.
I walked out of the bathroom and towards my room. I opened the door and gasped, slamming a hand to my racing heart.
"What are you guys doing here," I questioned Amilia and Mal.
They wore clothes similar to mine, both lounging on my bed.
"We're here to enjoy our hangovers together," Mal informed me, settling herself deeper into my bed.
Amilia nodded, agreeing. I shook my head and laughed slightly under my breath. I walked over and plopped myself in between them.
Mal sniffed the air before turning to me and raising her eyebrows. "Did you and my brother have sex last night."
A sound came out of my mouth that was a mixture of a laugh and a groan. "No!"
Mal tilted her head in my direction and analyzed me for a moment. "You're wearing his pants and you smell like him."
"I showered and used his body wash. And he brought me the clothes," I muttered, leaning my head against the headboard.
Mal watched me for a few more moments before shrugged and turning her attention to the tv. "What's up with you two anyways?"
"Honestly," I sighed. "I don't know."
Mal nodded, accepting the answer. "He's a good guy, y'know. I've never seen him so wrapped up in someone before. Just don't break his heart, okay?"
"Never," I promised.
"What happened after I left," I questioned, changing the subject.
Amilia laughed as her and Mal exchanged secretive looks. Something stirred in the pit of my stomach that I didn't like. "We danced, a lot. Cameron dragged us both home once he saw us make out."
"Woah," I laughed, not expecting that.
"It was wild," Amilia nodded, a grin on her face.
I smiled at her, happy that she had a good time. I think this is the first positive thing she has had to say since she got here. Not that she's been complaining, but she hasn't really been interested in any of the demon activities. I'm glad she's finally starting to blend in better.
"You've got to see the videos," Amilia announced.
Mal reached in her back pocket and handed me her phone. I went through them, laughing obnoxiously as I did. I thought I remembered everything, but watching these videos, there are little things that I don't remember at all. There's a lot of me grinding on Amilia and Mal. There's even a video of Mal and Amilia making out. Priceless.
"God, I've never been so black out drunk before," I muttered, shaking my head as I handed the phone back to Mal.
"Same," Amilia agreed.
Mal shrugged. "Doesn't surprise me. The fae don't have the alcohol that we have. They don't believe in fun."
Amilia sighed. "It's not that they don't believe in fun! They are just very traditional."
"Traditionally assholes," Mal muttered under her breath.
"They aren't that bad! It's you guys that terrify them!"
Mal rolled her eyes. "We have fun. We confront people who we have problems with. If there's an issue, we take it to the pits. You guys? You're like a cleaner Game of Thrones. Always waiting in the shadows to stab each other in the back."
She's not wrong. At all.
Amilia seemed to realize that too, but she wasn't ready to give up just yet. "Yeah well, at least we don't kidnap people!"
Mal laughed and shook her head. "If we didn't get to her first, you would've. And, in case you forgot, you're half demon too."
Amilia looked like she wanted to protest again, so I changed the subject. "What's our plan for today?"
Amilia and Mal stared at each other for a few more beats. I almost didn't think they would accept the distraction. However, Mal spoke up a few moments later.
"Probably just chill here. Rowan is training Cameron, and I doubt they will be done any time soon. Aiden and Christian are off god knows where. It's just us girls today."
"Thank god. I'm too exhausted to train today," I muttered.
"Speaking of which," I added, turning to Amilia. "I think you should consider letting Rowan teach you how to fight."
"I don't need to know how to fight," Amilia shook her head. "My powers are pretty kick ass."
Mal snorted, but I ignored her.
"And what happens if, for whatever reason, you can't use your powers," I questioned, cocking a brow. "You would be completely defenseless. At least learn a few things."
Amilia bit her lip and thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding. "Maybe I could learn a thing or two."
I sighed in relief and sent her a grateful smile. The mindset the fae have, about depending on their powers, is going to get them killed. That's something we'll have to fix when they come here. And quickly. Before it's too late.
*****
I walked through a familiar looking field. It's the same one from when I saw a vampire feeding off of Caroline. Goosebumps coated my skin, and I rubbed my arm absentmindedly.
Is this another vision?
"Hello, Freya," a familiar voice stated.
I quickly turned around, my heart dropping into my stomach. In front of me stood Saxons father, as alive as ever. His hair is shaved, his eyes colder if possible. He's cleanly shaven, giving him the appearance of being much younger than he is. He looks much too like Saxon for comfort.
"What the hell do you want," I growled, straightening my spine.
Stefan smirked and took a step closer. I refused to give him the satisfaction of taking a step back.
"I'm just here to talk."
"Yeah, right," I laughed bitterly.
Stefan shrugged. "Believe what you want."
"Where is Caroline," I growled, cutting to the chase.
Stefan laughed. "That's what you ask?"
I crossed my arms over my chest, keeping my stare even. Stefan analyzed me for a few moments before shaking his head.
"She's safe. For now."
I narrowed my eyes at that. I took a step closer to him, my jaw clenched. "If you hurt her..."
Stefan laughed again, the sound sending shivers down my spine. "Ah, Freya. The Warrior Queen. Faithful until the very end."
"Stop playing games."
Stefan nodded. "Very well. Let's cut to the chase. I heard something interesting. About a man in your midst."
"Oh yeah," I raised my eyebrows. "And what is that?"
"A little birdie told me that Cameron is a vampire."
Butterflies started erupting in my stomach, but I kept my expression cool. Amused, even. "Are you serious? What drugs are you on?!"
Stefan took another step toward me. "Don't lie. It's unbecoming of you."
"Excuse me?"
"Cut the act, Freya. We both know Cameron is a vampire. And we want him."
"Not going to happen," I informed him.
"I figured you'd say that," Stefan nodded. "Well then, I'll make it interesting for you. You give up Cameron, or for every day that you don't, an innocent will die."
"What," I stated, startled.
Stefan's smirk became much more cruel. "You have 3 days to make a decision before the killings start."
"Why," I growled. "Why are you doing this? You had everything."
Stefan shook his head. "If you thought that were true, you're dumber than I thought."
Before I could say anything else, he was gone. I took that moment to drop down to the ground and scream. Loudly.
What am I supposed to do? There's no way in hell I will let Stefan have Cameron. But I can't let them kill innocents either. How do I stop this? There has to be a loophole.
God, I need to get out of here. But how? All the other times, I just woke up.
I shut my eyes tightly, begging to wake up. Surprisingly, it worked.
I gasped in deep breaths as I shot up in bed. I turned around to look at the clock. 12 am blared back at me. I sighed and slowly got up. I need to find Rowan.
I grabbed his sweatpants and threw those back on, along with a hoodie. Then I padded out of my room and headed to his. Something felt wrong, but I went there anyways. I hesitated a moment before knocking. When there was no answer, I tried again.
I waited a few moments before sighing and opening the door. This is urgent. I need to wake him up. Surprisingly, when I looked in, he wasn't lying in bed. In fact, the bed was made. He hasn't gone to bed yet.
Shit, where could he be?
Something told me he wasn't inside. I don't know what. Intuition, maybe. It's my only lead anyways. I headed down the hallway and down the stairs toward the back door of the mansion. I got a feeling that he would be back there somewhere. I followed it.
I walked for a bit until I found a set of trees with a tire swing attached to it. On it sat Rowan. How did I know that he would be out here?
"Hey," I stated as I walked up to Rowan.
He looked up at me and smiled from his spot on the tire swing. It was an amusing site, seeing a man so large curled up into a little tire.
"What are you doing out here," I questioned.
"How'd you know I was here," Rowan asked, avoiding my question.
Honestly, I'm not really sure.
I shrugged in response, not really sure what else to say without sounding crazy. Rowan patted his lap, as if inviting me to sit on him. I laughed, thinking he was joking.
"I'm serious," Rowan laughed.
I raised my eyebrows, but slowly sat across his lap so that my legs would dangle off the side of him and my body would be perfectly perpendicular to his.
The second I sat down, he started to swing. I laughed as the wind brushed through my hair.
Rowan watched me, his eyes brighter than normal. The laugh died on my lips as I met his stare. His lips parted slightly and I couldn't help but let my eyes drift down to it. I sighed and looked away, licking my lips.
"I had a dream. Or a vision, or something," I blurted out.
Rowan instantly stopped swinging, staring at me intently.
"It was of Stefan," I explained. "We interacted. It wasn't like a normal vision of the future. It was real time."
Rowan nodded slowly. "It sounds like you were dream walking. I'm not sure how you managed to enter his dream, though."
I decided to not worry about that little detail. We have enough to worry about right now. "He knows about Cameron. He wants us to turn him in. And if we don't, he said he's going to kill innocent people."
Rowan stayed silent. I looked at him, the worry clearly shining through my eyes. "We cannot give him up."
"You're right. They would be able to figure out how they created him and replicate it. The last thing we need right now is a bunch of fae and demon vampires."
"I thought the change rid Cameron of his fae abilities?"
"Not necessarily," Rowan sighed. "It made him mostly vampire, but he's stronger and faster than any I have ever met. I have a feeling that when they change, they keep small forms of their old abilities to amplify who they are. So if you or I became one, we could still probably control minds or even have mild telekinesis."
I sucked in a breath. That sounds really bad. "So what are we going to do?"
"We talk to the king. And Mal. See if she has seen any more visions. And then we wait. We see if he was bluffing. If he's not, then we discover the pattern and save the people he means to kill."
"I can't just let innocent people die," I told him, shaking my head.
"I know," Rowan murmured, pulling me closer to him. "We'll figure something out."
"Isn't it weird that we haven't heard from them until now?"
"I know, I was thinking the same thing," Rowan sighed. "Mal hasn't been having visions either. I think they are blocking her from seeing somehow."
I bit my lip. That's not good. None of this is good.
"We need to tell Cameron. But if we do, he will want to give himself up. We can't let that happen," I informed him, my voice breaking slightly.
Rowan tilted his head. "Did he swear fealty to you?"
"What do you mean," I asked.
"It's a knight thing. If they swear to you, it's a vow bigger than words. It includes them kneeling in front of you, producing their sword, and allowing you to touch their head and shoulders with it. It's their way of showing they trust you completely, and will serve you until they die," Rowan informed me.
I thought back, realizing Cameron had in fact done that. I didn't realize it was that big of a deal, though.
"Yeah, he did actually."
"Then he has to obey you," Rowan stated.
"What," I questioned.
"By swearing to you, he recognized you as his queen. And no subject can defy a king or queens order. Physically, it cannot be done. There are loopholes, of course. There always are."
"So you're saying I should order him to not give himself up," I questioned, biting my lip.
Rowan nodded.
"I don't know how comfortable I am with that," I admitted.
Rowan shrugged. "It's part of being a queen. You either order him, or he gives himself up."
I sighed and leaned against his chest. My father was right. Being a queen is going to suck.
*Hey guys!
So, the vampires are starting to make their demands. What do you think Freya will do? Do you think she should order her best friend to stand down and let innocent people die?
Thank you guys so much for reading! Don't forget to vote and comment :)
-Xoxo, Gab*