Page 14 of Fire & Ice

The first fat drops of rain spatter against the back windows of the balcony. Inside, music swells as Beau takes Tempest's hand leading her out of the ballroom. She smiles radiantly up at him, as if he has belonged to her all along.

My chest aches as Charlie's words resonate within me. All my life I've done what was expected of me, never daring to grasp for more. And look where it's led - watching from the shadows as the man I love gives his heart to another, Tempest of all people.

No more.

I harden my resolve. If Beau is my destiny, I must seize it. Tempest will never forgive my betrayal, but I cannot live without him.

Let them call me villain, traitor, whore. I will have Beau as my own or die trying. The storm has broken within me - now there is only the reckoning.

Chapter 16

Tempest

A thunderous rumble sounded in the distance, jolting me awake. I glanced out at the horizon and saw the sun beginning to set, its pink hue transforming the world around me, glinting through the rain like pink morganite. I sat up, trying to remember my dream that had felt so real yet was slowly slipping away from my memory.

Ever since Beau had announced me as his mate last night, the weather has been a steady downpour, as if the sky itself was sad that he had laid claim to me. I pushed that intrusive thought away, for surely if we were fated than the sky wouldn't cry about it.

Turning to my side I saw Beau resting peacefully beside me, his body still warm from our night of cuddling. All night he had held me close after we'd made love beneath the stars above. Our sweat-soaked bodies moving in symphony as unimaginable pleasure radiated through us until we both drifted into an exhausted slumber.

I couldn't help but smile as I recalled how tenderly Beau touched me and offered pleasures that I didn't even know existed within myself. But now something new stirred inside me—a whispering of something powerful and elusive. It seemed like a voice from my dream was trying to tell me something, but what?

Desperately I tried to draw back on the fading memory, yet it felt like smoke just out of my reach no matter how hard I tried to grasp it. With a sigh I lay back down beside Beau, comforted by his coolness despite the anxiousness growing inside of me.

I ruminated about what the future would bring for my parents, my friend Sara whom I'd be able to see again, and my new title as Queen-in-waiting. It had all happened so fast—learning that I was not only blessed to become a Halfling, but also a vampire since I had mated. It was almost too much for me to accept.

I sat back up in bed, deciding to try and clear my mind. My feet led me to what I hoped was Beau's closet. Thankfully, I guessed right on the first try. Inside, among the lines of clothes hung up neatly, there was one large jacquard and silk robe with his family crest and name embroidered on it. As I put it on, I felt like I was being hugged. The plush material was luxurious against my skin and the smell of him surrounded me—soft hints of cedar and sea salt emanating from the fabric. Pausing for a second, I brought the collar of the robe close to my face and breathed in deeply.

My heart pounded in my chest as I leaned against the wall of Beau's closet with my face buried in his housecoat, clearing my mind, and focusing my thoughts. I didn't know how long I stood there like that, but suddenly there was a soft tap on the door. I knew it could only be him who was outside, and a mix of anticipation and excitement coursed through my veins.

I stepped out of the closet into the cool room, my eyes immediately drawn to Beau's. His piercing blue gaze sent a wave of warmth through me, calming my nerves even as he motioned towards the dresser and an open armoire I hadn't noticed last night. There, luxurious dresses, lacy undergarments and toiletries were laid out and hung up before me.

"You're the future queen," he said in a soft voice, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "I told you that you'd have everything you needed."

My heart leaped into my throat as I tried to find the right words to respond. I was so confused by all this. What did it mean to be mated? Before I could manage, Beau plopped down on the bed and pulled me onto his lap, kissing the top of my head softly.

"Let's sit, so we can talk."

Clinging to him, I felt safe and yet vulnerable at the same time. My hands fidgeted with his robe as I spoke in a quivering voice. "I have been pondering what happened. How could I not know about being mated? Why is there so much secrecy among our people?"

The air around us seemed to pulse with intensity as we looked into each other's eyes. Then Beau took my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing each fingertip before intertwining my fingers with his own. “I know the reason fragiles and gifted aren't told simply comes down to the safety of those that are mated,” he murmured. “I apologize, as I didn't even consider that this was all new to you in every way and that you wouldn't know what was happening. The only thing that mattered once I touched you was that we were in each other’s arms; nothing else came into question.”

I smiled weakly, feeling a mixture of elation and confusion. “All I could think about was you too,” I whispered. " I just needed you, to feel your touch... drown myself in you."

“Normally, after your twenty-fifth Blood Moon, if you were found to be a Halfling, you’d learn all about being mated when you went for your training at one of the manors,” Beau explained. "But it’s not something that can be truly prepared for. Being mated is a rarity that elevates us from halflings into true vampires, once the bond is cemented."

I leaned my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "What happened at the ball was not something that I could ever have imagined. I've never felt that way before. You changed everything in me, and I had no idea how to handle it." He brushed his thumb against the back of my hand in soothing circles as I spoke.

"You changed everything in me, and I didn't know how to handle it either," Beau admitted.

We both sat in silence for a moment, lost in our own thoughts and emotions.

"How did I change everything in you?" I asked, shattering the silence with my curiosity.

"You gave me my life back," Beau answered, squeezing me tightly. "I was giving up on being mated. I figured that I wouldn't find my one, and it didn't seem to matter anymore. You only have until your one hundred and twenty-fifth Blood Moon, and mine was last night. Suddenly there you were, a literal dream that had come to life. In that instant, you were everything to me. You are my everything," he finished.

Beau let out a deep sigh. "I can't say for sure that I knew what it would be like," he admitted with a shake of his head, running a hand through his hair. "My father tried to explain it to me, and I read about the mating in ancient texts, but I still wasn't prepared for all these feelings flooding my soul when we came together."

"What now?" I asked him, leaning against his chest and feeling some of the tension slowly easing out of my body.

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