Page 71 of His True Beloved

“Shit.” I sighed, pulling Christine closer to my heart. Her arms went around my neck, sighing contentedly. “Does Suron know that part?” Tate shook his head.

“I told them they have moved to the next life and died sometime after he left. The reason they died was that they saved him. His parents didn’t want Suron to return to Bergarian to search for them. Their bodies were burned and no memorial in their stead.” I hummed, running my fingers through Christine’s hair. Part of me wanted to ask if my parents were happy on the other side, but I knew they were. They lived exemplary lives, protected me, and gave me the best upbringing they could in the modest home we lived on the outskirts of Vermillion.

“Hey, Sebastian,” Tate called from the other side of the table. “They are proud of you, and they said your true beloved is a doll.” Chuckling, my eyes filled with tears.

“Thank you,” I mouthed my words.

“My wolf is tired from speaking from the other side.” Tate stood up, straightening his shirt. “Please let me know if Suron needs help. I’m willing to conjure his parents, and I can speak between them if he needs more closure.” I nodded, reaching my hand out to shake his.

“You’re a good wolf.” I gave a sad smile before he walked out of the trashed room, leaving me with my mate.

***

My mate stayed asleep in my arms as we walked back to the coven. It was well past midnight, and the howls and cries of laughter and cheer resonated through the heavily wooded grove. Wolves had shifted, running around the territory line as I stepped up the coven’s steps.

Rowan greeted me, letting me in and following me to our room. The heavy darkness that lay on his shoulders was evident, and I didn’t question his close following.

Laying Christine on the bed, Rowan hovered his arm, touching my shoulder. “I need to speak with you, brother, but I dare not let you leave your mate too far. Let’s speak on the other side of the door,” he whispered, his eyes gazing at his beautiful beloved. I growled in my throat in warning. He only chuckled, knowing the demon that resided within all the vampires was possessive during this time when one’s mate had not been marked.

Shutting the door with a click, Rowan rubbed his hands in worry. His brows furrowed, his feet shifting side to side, had the hair on my neck raised. “We received a text message from Christine’s phone.” He cleared his throat. “Usually, the random breathing is what we are greeted with when we answer, but this time, he left a text message, and it came with a warning.”

Gripping my fist, I leaned on the door, my elbow propped up defiantly while I squinted my eyes in anger. The red glow of my eyes reflected in Rowan, who immediately took a step back.

“Physically, she will be fine, Sebastian,” he muttered.

“You say physically, but what about mentally? You know how an incubus works, Rowan.” My arm pushed away from the wall, standing in front of him. “What did the message read?”

Licking his lips, he rubbed a hand over his chest. “I’ll see you in your dreams, Sunshine.”

I growled, pushing the door open. Rowan stepped in front of my mate with speeds even I couldn’t comprehend. He was much older than I, and his physical abilities were more remarkable than my own. “You can’t.” Rowan sighed, putting his arm in front of her.

“You can’t keep her awake forever; humans need at least a few hours of sleep, or they will go mad.” I growled, trying to wake her from afar, but Christine’s body didn’t move. She was stuck in a deep sleep from the alcohol, and now I had no way to wake her until the alcohol had passed.

“What if he is in there right now?” I asked helplessly. “He could be raping her, torturing her, trying to hurt her. You know those dreams feel real on the inside of the mind.” I panicked. Walking away, I stood at the window, watching the setting moon. My fangs leaked with a venom that I hadn’t felt since my time forcefully fighting for Darius.

“He could hurt her, and I can’t do anything?” I shook my head, resting my arms on either side of the window frame.

“I’ve reached out for help,” Rowan whispered. “There’s a pair of witches that have helped me before. They may be able to put a ward on her mind. There is something you could do before they arrive.” My head turned, eyeing Rowan carefully.

“You could change her.”

Fuck.

“I can’t do that without her consent.” I growled. “I can’t do it while she’s sleeping. That’s… fucking shit.” My body sat down on the bed, pressing my forehead to hers. “Christine, please wake up, please.” Rowan came closer, but my hiss had him cower. The rage that I held under control was now dissipating. When she woke, I’d make sure she wouldn’t fall asleep again and beg her for me to change her.

Which I don’t find to be a problem, but once she knows the process…

If I couldn’t fight for her in the dream world, I’d fight for her here, and the first line of defense would be to make her fully a vampire so he couldn’t find her in her dreams. It would hold her helpless, and she would depend on me for everything. This meant I couldn’t hunt for him like I had planned. If only I had been thinking of her well-being instead of planting my cock inside her.

I growled again, startling Christine in her sleep, my forehead touching hers again, wishing I could do it all over, change her when I had the chance.

“You aren’t foolish,” Rowan spoke louder. “You were doing what was best, what you thought would be good for your beloved. We both know it is a big step for the change.” He stepped away to the door, hovering about the entryway.

“When she wakes, give her the talk, what it entails. That will protect her mind, and until then, the coven will defend you both in the physical sense. We will keep her safe until she has fully changed and has fought against her blood lust.”

I furrowed my brows, nodding to him in thanks. There were no words I could express the gratitude he had given me. Everyone around me continued to provide, and there was nothing I could do to help them in return. I hated the feeling that I had to rely on so many to protect the one thing precious to me.

Swallowing my pride, I began to undress Christine. She wasn’t dirty at all. Her beautiful skin still glowed with the shine of perspiration from the over-induced alcohol. She still smelled like heaven to me as I wiped her clean with a cool cloth. Her body shuddered as I pulled the blankets over her body.

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