Page 6 of Bitten By Desire

“That’s horrible,” I said, sinking back into the chair. I hadn’t realized I’d gotten so involved in the story that I’d been leaning over the edge, spine rigid.

“Sora’s grief consumed her until she couldn’t think of anything other than the one she’d lost. But she could have reached out to the others in her life who loved her for support.”

My face heated as the point of Binx’s tale became clear. “I see. That’s a great parable for my situation. Except that my mother was killed in cold blood, and I haven’t tried to replace her, just have enough space to grieve in my own way.” At some point, I’d risen from the chair and started yelling.

Binx calmly stood, putting his hands in his pockets as Julian appeared behind him.

“It isn’t a parable,” Binx said softly. “Sora was my sister.”

I stopped in mid-tirade and wiped at the tears on my face.

“We’re here when you’re ready.” Binx gave me a quick kiss on the head and disappeared from sight with another slight pop.

Chapter 3

I Can’t Run from Myself

Three months later

Julian stood, leaning over the balcony, staring out at the city lights stretched beneath the stars. The silhouette of the Eifel Tower rose proudly, yet still seemed tiny from this distance.

It should have been a breathtaking scene—a dream come true to be here in the city of romance with the man I loved.

But I felt nothing. And I hadn’t in months. I supposed it made sense scientifically that, at some point, my brain had to shut off the pain if it wanted to survive. But I disagreed. I didn’t care if I survived, I deserved the pain.

It was impossible to get the thought out of my head. I could have prevented my mother’s murder, but I was too busy fucking my vampire and complaining about the very abilities that were trying to tell me something serious was amiss. The only thing that could possibly reinvigorate my sense of purpose would be finally finding some form of lead about my mother’s murderer.

Zoe, Hazel, Sam, Binx, and Lydia had tried in so many ways to chorus Julian’s insistence that it wasn’t my fault. That I’d been through huge trauma after huge trauma, and I couldn’t process it. But I just didn’t believe them.

I was sure Daphne felt the same, but she was unable to portal so far from the land she remained attached to magically as a nymph. At least she could keep an eye on the general and SHADE’s dealings. Though from what the others told me, her inability to travel to see us continued to truly upset her.

We were officially still on the run. The general’s plan to take me into ‘protective custody’ meant he could hand me over to whoever the powers that be were to experiment on, and who knew what they’d do to Julian?

It wasn’t worth fighting the charges since the general knew we knew he and the board of SHADE were behind the genetic experimentation of innocents. He feared we’d attempt to expose them or take them down somehow.

He was right. Between shuffling us from to Peru, to Egypt, to New Zealand, Julian had left me only to pursue potential leads on the whereabouts of Em or information on the identity of any potential board members so we could question them about Mama’s death.

A glowing blue hole opened behind Julian on the veranda and my sister stepped through wearing a black mini-dress and heels. She carried a package over her arm. She was nearly as tall as Julian, I noted as she approached him. She’d barely glanced at my spot on the overstuffed couch. Maybe they’d finally given up trying to get me to perk up.

They whispered for a bit and then Julian led her inside to pour her a glass of wine. He refilled his own, but mine sat untouched on the glass coffee table. Zoe accepted hers then tossed the bag down beside me, making me flinch.

“Get dressed,” she ordered then downed her hundred-dollar Burgundy.

“No thanks,” I said, hugging a pillow.

“The last time she was like this was after the lab was attacked,” Zoe said, considering me. “But that only lasted a few weeks.”

“How did you get through to her?” Julian asked.

“I made her go on a date,” Zoe said with a smirk. “The date was crashed by MorningStar trying to kidnap her, and you showed up.”

“I wish I were the magic solution,” Julian said, swirling his wine. He wore one of his tailored black suits and a red tie. I remembered it from the first night we made love. My heart squeezed a bit at the thought, and I bit my cheek.

Zoe plopped down next to me and stole my pillow. “Mama would be devasted that you’re doing this to yourself.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d tried the guilt card, but my wince showed it still worked well enough.

“Get dressed or I will portal your ass to the top of the Eifel tower,” she said, setting the bag on my lap. “We have a lead.”

---