Page 2 of Bitten By Desire

Stepping forward, I released both my sister’s and lover’s hands and sobbed as I used my telekinesis to lift the casket and set her gently inside the ground. I motioned to the piles of dirt on both sides of the grave, and they collapsed into the hole, burying her.

“Please join us at my cottage for a more informal memorial so we may celebrate the memory of Darlene,” Hazel said. Then she lifted her arms in the air, green light crackling at her fingertips. “May your body feed the mother, your soul fly upon the wind, and your memory live on through those who knew you. Life is a never-ending circle, but your path lies beyond that which we can see. Rest now in peace. So mote it be.”

“So mote it be,” the crowd recited.

I stared at the soft overturned dirt where she lay, barely aware of the people mumbling their respects as they headed back down the hill. But before I realized any time had passed, I was left standing with Julian, Zoe, Hazel, Daphne, Lydia, and Sam. My friends. No—the family I had left.

“We should probably head to Hazel’s so we can meet people for the wake,” Zoe said quietly.

“Karma will fly me back. I’ll meet you there,” Hazel said, planting a kiss on Zoe’s cheek.

Julian tugged, and I let him turn me and begin leading us back toward the car. The general still stood in his spot, somewhat removed, and Julian’s hand tightened around mine.

We went to walk past him, but he sidestepped into our path.

“I wanted to be respectful and wait until your mother was laid to rest,” he began in his deep, rumbling voice. “But I am ready to make an arrest for more than one murder.”

My heart sped up as I blinked up at him, almost forgetting I couldn’t trust him. “You found her killer?”

One curt nod served as my answer. I felt the presence of the others crowd around behind me. Then the general turned his attention on Julian.

“Lieutenant Julian Carver, you are under arrest for the murder of Silas Bentcort, vampire sect liaison, and Darlene Devaux. I suggest you do not attempt to escape.”

“I’m sorry, General,” Daphne’s soft voice interrupted as she shoved her way to my other side. “But falsely accusing Julian of murder is getting old, don’t you think?”

“There’s an eyewitness to the murder at the vampire estate,” he barked. “And I’ve been told several of you were there as well.”

My blood turned to ice. I’d been there. I’d helped kill the bastard—or at least gave Julian my blessing. But it had been self-defense. The man had tortured Julian for decades, even centuries, and was planning to do the same to me. Who could the witness possibly be? I trusted every person who’d been in that room. They were all here beside me right now except…Tabitha and my father.

Tabitha was a psychic like me and had set me up, capturing me for MorningStar, the black ops government group that used torture freely.

But somehow, I couldn’t discount my father’s presence as well.

The man who’d left us all those years ago.

The man who was crazy enough to do genetic experimentation on his own children because he believed that gods visited him.

The man who hadn’t even shown up to his wife’s funeral though he hadn’t seen her in years.

My knees wobbled and threatened to give out.

“If there was an eyewitness, then you know it was self-defense,” Lydia said, stepping up beside Julian and crossing her arms.

“There are at least three of us that can attest to that. Three against one,” Hazel said from directly behind my shoulder.

“And I was with Julian when my mother was murdered,” I said, finally finding my voice. “It couldn’t have been him.”

I wished that wasn’t a true statement because then I couldn’t blame myself for ignoring my instincts and making love to Julian instead of saving my mother.

The general’s dark glare focused on me. “I’m afraid I must place you under arrest as well, Dr. Devaux. As accomplice to murder. Therefore, your alibi statement is suspect.”

I gripped hard to Julian’s hand to stop him from lunging. That would only make this worse.

“Accomplice?” I echoed, trying to work things through in my muddled brain.

“This is ridiculous.” The protests of our group rose around me like brambles, shielding me from attack.

The general raised his giant palms. “I suspect we’ll uncover that you’ve been manipulated by glamour and not at fault. But for your own good, I must insist on protective custody.”

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