Page 51 of Bitten By Chaos

When I pulled my hand away to return to the present, a tear was winding a crooked path along my face.

“Julian.”

But instead of melancholy, his expression was pure rage, and I leaned back quickly before realizing it wasn’t aimed at me.

“Um, Julian…”

“I hadn’t realized until you found her. But she’d been in the memory all along.” The barely controlled anger shook his voice.

“Elsa interfered. She arranged for me to find the speakeasy,” I said, understanding.

Julian nodded, crushing the empty cup before him in one fist so that it shattered over the table.

This was bad. I didn’t want him going after her now, when she had the advantage of Kayora’s blood. I needed to get him to calm down, but how did I calm a furious vampire who’d been cheated out of his mate?

“You arranged for that man to steal my purse,” I accused.

Julian snapped his head toward me in shock. Good, I’d distracted him. “I?—”

“I understand why,” I said. “What I don’t understand is why the hell I cared if you ran a speakeasy.”

“Your father was a judge,” Julian answered, shoulders slumping as he stared at the mess he’d made before him. “One of the few uncorrupted ones.”

“Ah.” I waved away the broken bits and slid from my chair onto his lap, leaning against his chest. “Well, we’re here now. Together.”

“Yes,” he said, cupping my cheek. “I do not regret that. But Elizabeth?—”

“Instead of focusing on revenge, let’s try focusing on us for a change,” I said. “Everyone and everything seems to have conspired against us in each of my lives, including this one. Let’s show them all it won’t work anymore.”

“What do you have in mind?” Julian asked, an amused twitch to his lips.

“Marry me.”

Julian ran a thumb over the ring on my left finger then kissed the back of my hand. “You already said yes.”

“I mean, let’s do it soon. As soon as possible. Now even.”

“We are doing this right, Charlotte. I will not rush what has taken hundreds of years. Though I admit being married to you now sounds like a dream.”

Pulling him down for a kiss, I basked in the happiness that bloomed like a shower of rose petals around us. “Then give me one week to plan it. With magic and portals, I can do it. Watch.” I waved an arm, and the rubble that blocked the way to the front hall rose and reassembled itself, fixing the structure of his house.

“I will agree on one condition,” Julian said. “You focus equally as much on your newfound condition with Lydia and your father if necessary.”

Biting back the retort on the tip of my tongue, I forced myself to nod in agreement instead. If that’s what it took to keep him from carrying out the threat he’d made a hundred years ago to kill anyone who interfered in our relationship, then that’s what I would do.

Chapter 17

Changes

Wasting no time, I texted Lydia, my faithful assistant, who was up for the challenge. By the time I portalled myself to the base and reconstructed my old laboratory, she’d made it to my side.

Explaining all I knew about what had happened didn’t take long, considering many of the changes were obvious to her senses, and she’d witnessed the aftermath in Merlin’s quarters. Still, she listened patiently, taking it all in.

“Don’t shoot me, but I think Julian is right about including your dad.”

My cheeks flushed with anger, but I bit back my response as she continued on.

“He’s already done the groundwork, so why take the time to catch up? I know the guy’s not the ideal father. I get that. Mine wasn’t ideal either, but maybe you can use the guilt card to get what you need from him.” She grimaced when she finished and waited.

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