Page 63 of Eternally Yours

Nicholas

Standing in the middle of my bedroom chamber, I stared at myself in the full-length mirror. The man staring back at me was almost unrecognizable. I hadn’t worn this armor or my family’s crest for centuries—definitely not the modern adaptation. It felt foreign, and although we’d replaced the bulky, heavy metal plates with lightweight and flexible polyethylene, the sleek and streamlined black and red gear carried a weight heavier than anything I’d ever worn.

The magnitude of what it represented for me and my family pressed hard against my shoulders. Before Elizabeth and my emancipation, I’d worn it with pride. I’d killed for the crest without question or hesitation. Loyalty ran in my veins, and my sole purpose had been to do what was best for this family and my coven.

So much had transpired since then.

I hadn’t been in this room—my bedroom—for just as long, but like the armor, it didn’t feel like mine. Not anymore. I was an imposter.

But I was prepared to do anything to save Loren, even if that meant falling to my knees before my father and begging for his forgiveness. At least it ensured I had the resources I needed to take out the Order and get her back.

Walking inside the metal vault where I kept my weapons cache, I reached for my favorite blades, twin katana swords. When I left the coven years ago, I didn’t take anything but my bone-hilt dagger, a gift from Elizabeth. I didn’t want anything else that reminded me of the blood I’d spilled for my family. But I couldn’t deny that I’d missed my swords. The red ray-skin, cotton-cord wrapped handles felt familiar against my palms, thirst for vengeance spiking in my blood.

If they hurt Loren in any way, they were going to pay with more than their lives. I would lay ruin to their entire faction. I’d hunt down every single last member of the Order and rain down my rage with the full force of the Iron Guard.

They’d wish they’d never messed with my mate or the Guerra family.

A knock sounded at the door. Probably Catherine coming to help me finish suiting up. No doubt she was outfitted in the same armor, ready to follow me into battle like old times.

“Come in,” I said, my back to the door as I continued to gear up.

“Your father told me I’d find you in here.”

My body spring-boarded. The soft, flutelike timbre of that feminine voice was unmistakable. I’d vowed to my father I would honor my duty to the coven and mate Mariellena, but I hadn’t expected he’d summon her to our house so soon. Right now, it was not the time to talk about our union. Especially without first figuring out how I would make reparations for the damage I caused her family when I abandoned her at the altar.

“Ellie,” I said, turning toward the stunning brunette as I sheathed the swords across my back. Wavy chestnut hair cascaded down her shoulders, her honey-colored eyes simmering with scorn. Her almond-cream skin was as youthful and flawless as a human female in her prime. The only sign of her centuries-old age was the cunning in her gaze.

She sauntered closer, her hips swaying under the silky fabric of her thin, black gown in a seductive dance meant to entrance any living creature. Stopping a foot from me, she swung a fist across my cheek, the collision making my teeth clatter. As she crossed her arms over her bosom, her penetrating eyes said everything she didn’t bother to utter with her lips.

I rotated my jaw. The woman knew how to throw a punch. “I deserve that.”

“What you deserve is to have your balls ripped off and fed to rabid dogs.”

I didn’t argue. My actions humiliated her, fanning the flames of our families’ feud. Our bond was supposed to broker peace between the houses. I’d spat on that agreement. “If you’re here, then you know I’ve decided to honor my duty.”

Chin pointed, she narrowed her eyes. “That’s all our union ever meant to you. Duty.”

Strapping blades to my thighs, I asked, “Did it mean anything else to you?”

“There was a fleeting moment where I thought I could love you, Nicholas. We were friends once.”

The memories of our time at the academy—where we trained together in combat and studied our supernatural history—surfaced from the abyss of my past. “Those were better times, Ellie,” I said, offering her a gentle smile as an olive branch. “I’m sorry for what I did to you and your family. I plan to fix that.”

“You assume far too much, old friend.”

“Oh?” Curiosity spurred in my mind.

“A lot has changed since you absconded with my pride, Nicholas.”

“I don’t pretend to know what’s become of the covens in the time I’ve been gone. I also don’t pretend to believe that our betrothal was founded on anything other than a business transaction. You didn’t love me any more than I loved you.”

“Right. I didn’t,” she spat, pressing her index finger hard against my chest. “His name was Armando, and I loved him more than any other, but I didn’t run from my family. I knew there were bigger things at stake than my heart.”

“I was naïve to assume otherwise.”

She growled and turned from me, pacing like a riled panther. “You were a goddamn idiot. You abandoned us when we needed you the most. Centuries of in-fighting left us vulnerable to infiltration.” She paused to stare at me, her gaze burning hot with sparks of fury. “The houses continue to conspire against my family and yours. They plan to overthrow your father’s rule and to make my claim to the throne obsolete. I won’t let them erase my legacy from the books, Nicholas. I won’t stand idle and watch them tear down everything my family built.”

I stood still, letting her anger wash over me. Truth was, I didn’t give a shit about the throne or power. I wanted the freedom to do as I pleased, to live the eternity I chose. But that all changed when I met Loren. All that mattered was her safety, even if it meant selling myself back to this circus.

---