Page 77 of Eternally Yours

Squeezing my eyes shut, I shook my head. Now I was to form a union with Mariellena, like I was always meant to, and join the families.

My chest clenched.

Mother walked in dressed in her signature floor-length, golden gown, embodying the power and grace that only a vampire who’d been around for as long as my father could. Her long dark hair hung in rivulets down her shoulders, and her beautiful, ageless face was hard as granite. If people didn’t know what we were, they would assume we were siblings.

She came around to face me, taking over the tailor in fitting me with my jerkin and smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles. “You look exceptionally handsome, Nicholas. You make a mother proud.”

“Are all these embellishments necessary? I would have preferred a simple tux.”

“It's a royal union, my son,” she said, palming my jaw with her soft hand.

I recoiled from her touch. “It’s a glorified sex party. I fail to see the point to all this,” I said, gesturing to my clothes. “Not to mention the ceremony. Do you really want to see your son’s naked ass on top of that altar?”

She sighed, her breath laced with annoyance. She knew I was right. This whole charade was pointless and an unnecessary overindulgence. “The families need to have zero doubt that the bloodlines have been united. It’s the only way to ensure that those you sire once you become leaders of the new coven will be sired under one blood.”

Cocking an eyebrow, I told her exactly how I felt about the bloodlines. “Me… sire an heir? No, mother. Ellie can handle that. I have no desire to be bloodbonded to anymore vampires than I need to.”

She grabbed me by the collar, her grip strong. “You will need a male heir sired by you. Someone of high status and power. The council has a list of candidates for both you and Ellie to select from.”

Eyeing her hands, I gently gestured for her to loosen her hold. When she did, I moved away and continued to dress, dismissing the tailor’s efforts. I’d done this too many times before to need assistance like some spoiled prince.

“I care little for any of the individuals on that list. A high-ranking member of the British Royal family? The son of a Russian Oligarch? A US Senator? The men on that list are hardly noble. Money and power are the only qualifiers for this family.”

“You think good character is what’s kept us around for all these centuries?” Her tone deepened, her displeasure with my dismissiveness of the coven laws crystal clear.

Unlike my father, my mother had a way of touching the gentler side of me. Although I couldn’t give two fucks about this goddamn ceremony or the selection process for the next generation of vampires, it mattered to her.

Walking toward her, I took her hands in mine. “Despite my disapproval of our politics and all the warmongering, I will do my best to fulfill my duty, mother.”

She rooted her gaze into mine, her fierce belief in the coven laws unwavering. “Our traditions and rules have kept us safe not only from the warring families but from the humans as well. Everything we’ve ever fought for—died for—has been for the good of this coven. Youwilldo your duty and honor those traditions. Need I remind you, you were selected from a list, not unlike the one you are rebuking. Your connection to the Spanish Crown wasn’t the only reason you were chosen. It was your ruthlessness on the battlefield and off.”

There was no reasoning with the elders, and arguing further was foolish. “That was over five-hundred years ago, mother,” I said as I walked to my vault in search of the bone-hilt dagger Elizabeth had gifted me.

“Your father would have chosen differently,” she quipped, trying to dig at my old wounds. “But I convinced him you were destined for greatness. That you would bring this family fortune and high honor. I won’t allow you to prove me wrong.”

I smirked to myself as I secured my weapon. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” I answered her over my shoulder. What I didn’t tell her was that I wasn’t doing this for them, not entirely at least. This was for Loren. Once I had full control of the covens, I would unleash our full strength on the Order.

“Splendid,” she chirped. “Now, let us hurry. A masquerade awaits us.”

With one last glance in the mirror, I adjusted my jerkin and bid the old Nicholas farewell. Love was not my fate. I would need to accept that for the rest of eternity. But if the ruthless killer was what they’d hoped for, I would gladly play that role.

Unlike Loren, I didn’t fear the monster that I was. I embraced it.

“Are you coming, Nicholas?” my mother asked as she waited at the doorway, eyeing me with worry.

In that moment, Loren’s face flashed before my eyes. My heart thundered as if it had felt the pull of her tether. What a cruel joke.

I sighed and followed my mother out. It was time to complete this farce of a union.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Loren

Dressed only in a black lacy thong, I strolled inside Nic’s walk-in-closet, feathering my fingers over his neatly folded clothes. In the corner, a black t-shirt lay over a hamper. Taking it in my hands, I held it close to my nose and inhaled his heady scent. Heavens, how I’d missed the way he smelled.

I still couldn’t believe I was back here. That Nic was alive. Only a few hours ago, I’d been lying on the cold stone floor of a cell, believing I’d killed the man I loved. Shredded him to pieces with my own bare hands. I’d prayed for death to come and silence my thoughts. For the flesh-ripping pain to end.

Yet all along he’d been fighting for his life. I could’ve been by his bedside—should have been. My blood could’ve healed him faster.

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