“They have already called here. Just shortly before you both entered. They will be arriving here shortly.” His eyes showed a sense of apology to her. “It is still your choice. If you choose you may leave with them, but the only way for you to stay here is if I change you.” Lucian took a sip of his Whiskey while Darius went to sit by her on the other side of the couch. He appeared to like Whiskey as well.
A choice was all it took, but it didn’t feel like much of a choice to her. Still, Darius’s words were accurate. Lucian had been helpful to her. He never overstepped his boundaries or pushed her even now when it would make sense to do just that. “I won’t go with them. I would much rather be changed by a Sire like you than someone like Vivian or her father.”
“Well then, now since that is settled. I’m truly glad you are choosing to stay here with us. I think you will make an excellent addition and I know Cassandra will enjoy you staying around. I’ll take care of your old job and apartment. Might be best to live here until you get acquainted to being one of us. Now are you sure you don’t want a sip of whiskey? I can tell you are nervous about this.”
Nervous was very accurate and maybe a sip would be nice. Nodding her head once Lucian handed over his glass to her, letting her take a sip of the liquid that burned slightly down her throat. “Better?” No, it wasn’t better, but she realized that had to be expensive Whiskey for it to be that smooth and delicious. “You will need to voice in front of Joshua and Quinn that I will be the one turning you. That you will accept your place here. You will need to voice this once they get here and no later. They will try to take you otherwise because, in a sense, they have rights until you are mine.” So, there wouldn’t be time to accept all of this. Just right into the fray. With a deep breath she understood as she handed his glass back to him.
Move forward. She could do this. Nothing drastic would change in her life, would it? She would be what she had set out to be since she was a small child. She had got to live a somewhat normal life for a time. It was just time to get back to what she was destined to do.
“Ah, so they arrive.” Of course, she heard nothing, but knew that Lucian could. Sharp hearing and all. Drinking the last gulp of liquid from his glass he stood up offering her his arm like a gentleman would. This was the first time she wondered just how old was Lucian really? He had to be much older than the thirty-year-old he appeared to be. Strange what questions popped into her head even when she felt beyond anxious.
Taking a deep breath, Isabel took Lucian’s arm as they headed out from his office and towards the downstairs foyer. They had come and now it was time to finally accept her fate. As they descended the stairs, she saw Quinn standing at the bottom with Joshua beside him. There was a flicker of an emotion in Quinn’s eyes that she couldn’t place when their eyes connected. Not wanting to be lost in those eyes, she let her gaze shift to her feet as Lucian strolled them down to the bottom of the stairs. This forced Quinn and Joshua back a few steps. “Hello Quinn. Hello Joshua. Thank you for gracing us with your unwelcome presence.”
Anger flared to life in Quinn’s eyes as they landed on Lucian, though it didn’t seem to bother Lucian one bit. “You have been hiding her here for nine years.”
Lucian’s eyes trained onto Quinn and there was something in that look. The way he analyzed him seemed odd, but probably was just sizing him up. “Yet, you both came into my territory looking for someone without my knowledge.” She knew they would have some excuse. Probably going to play the card they were on their way to ask. It was an acceptable form of request, if they had actually been on their way here.
“We were on our way here to request access to your territory when we ran into her.” This time Joshua was talking. It must be because they were lying, at least slightly so.
“Ah, then that is fine.” Lucian’s dismissal wasn’t exactly what she was expecting. Nor did it look like Quinn or Joshua anticipated this reaction either. “Then you are welcome here.”
A look of relief passed on Quinn’s face and then his piercing eyes gazed back at her with determination. Those eyes held hers and she felt trapped within them. “Then we will be taking Isabel back to where she belongs.”
“Not so fast there Quinn.” Those words forced Quinn’s eyes to revert back to Lucian allowing her to break away from that hold. “She has decided to join my clan instead of yours.” Those words were the signal for what was coming. The atmosphere of the room began to swell with the leashed fury from Quinn and she felt those piercing eyes back on her, but she refused to look at them now.
“I choose to align with Lucian and will be taking his offer to be changed and sired by him.” As those words left her mouth, she showed the resolve she held and let it show directly to Quinn. Betrayal came to light in those eyes, and it helped push the feelings she had for him further into her heart. No more could they be together. This would forever draw the line between them, and she was causing it. She had to let go of him now. This had to end for them.
She had hoped he would give up, but of course it didn’t seem to be the case. “What makes me trust this? Unless you change her now, we have every right to her until your blood flows in her.” Lucian had been right. Just as he said. Thankfully, she felt her focus in this, knew she was ready for this.
The thing was, Joshua and Quinn weren’t the ones exactly ready for what was to happen, especially Quinn. She knew her next words would sear that line between them now. “Well, if that is the case, I am willing to be changed now.”
“Why are you doing this, Isabel?” Desperation leaked through his words, but she had to avoid those golden eyes of his and instead put all her attention to Lucian to see him nod lightly.
“Well, let’s get this done, shall we.” Lucian moved his arm from her and then offered a hand out before her, another form of her showing she accepted this fate of her own free will. This had to be her choice to choose the change. Without a glance at Quinn, she took hold of Lucian’s hand and felt him pull her to him, enveloping her in his arms with her facing both the men. That’s when a suffocating power enveloped the room that even she felt. “Now, both of you stay quiet and stay put, or you shall regret coming into my territory.” Both men kept their mouths shut. Keeping her eyes diverted from Quinn’s, she felt Lucian’s mouth dip to her ear to whisper gentle words for her ears only. “It will be painful, that I am sorry for. It won’t last long though.”
Fingers grazed over the left side of her neck, brushing her hair aside before she felt the finger gently pull her shirt aside to give access to the spot he wanted. A tickle of his breath was her next sign that this was actually happening before the gentle brush of his lips touched her skin. Finally, his fangs pierced her skin and what should have been painful from what she thought turned into the opposite as he took her blood. No pain like he mentioned, no, it was the complete opposite. The pleasure threw her off, but thankfully she gritted her teeth, not allowing anything remotely to come out of her mouth. She didn’t need them to know how she felt.
Though maybe they could smell her arousal and this was all pointless of trying to hold her moans in. Not able to stop herself, her eyes opened to glance at Quinn and she saw something in them she hadn’t expected. Hunger. Those eyes held her captive until her eyelids grew heavy. Before they could fully close, Lucian’s fangs withdrew and before she realized, Lucian’s wrist was bleeding and was before her. It appeared to be sliced open, maybe with his fangs?
No matter. She had to drink the blood now since she was on the edge of death. She didn’t have the energy to pull his hand to her, but he must have known as his wrist was placed before her lips. Easing her mouth open to the red liquid she felt the flow of blood fill her mouth. It was easy to get a mouthful of the liquid and it shocked her as the taste wasn’t bad as she thought it would be. In some ways to her it tasted familiar and tempting to drink. Then his wrist disappeared and she felt arms pick her up, cradling her in them. It must be Lucian but she had zero strength that she wasn’t able to open her eyes to even confirm that.
As he held her in his arms, she felt the pain begin to overwhelm her. So, this was the pain he had warned about. With every second it intensified, and she gritted her teeth together trying to hold it together. This pain was beyond that of a scorching fire. It burned everywhere, especially everywhere inside of her. "Now that you have witnessed her transition, it is best if you leave. You may come back tomorrow when the worst of the change has ended, and you can confirm her full transformation has occurred." Lucian didn’t bother to wait for their reply while he guided them up the stairs to get her to a place where she could hopefully be alone. She hated that others would be hearing her screams, but she wasn’t able to stop them as she felt the fire eating her alive. She knew Lucian spoke words to sooth her, but she was unable to hear what those words might be.
Eventually, it all died away, and she was lost in the darkness and the nightmares that seemed to follow. They plagued her. One painful nightmare had been about Quinn lying in her arms dying. Tears flowed as she let the rage engulf her. She then felt the sting of a sword plunging through her chest but refused to look at who it was before she felt the instant pain across her neck before jolting awake in real life. The nightmare through her off and as soon as she was aware, an onslaught of noises assaulted her head and everything seemed so bright. Just focus on me. The words were the softest yet the easiest to focus on as they filtered through her mind. Blinking back the light she finally started to adjust to the low lighting.
That’s when she noticed Lucian was sitting in a chair before her bed watching her intently. Had he been here the whole time, or had he just known she was about to wake. It would be the later dear. The words floated through her mind. This was the Sire and fledging bond that she had learned about. Now that Lucian was her sire, they would always have this connection. "I won’t abuse it though." The words made her fully focus her attention on him as she felt her mind was completely just hers again. "The connection is there but I will try and only ever use it when I need to. Everyone deserves privacy. My sire taught me the importance of that long ago."
She never expected him to mention his sire and she could tell from the look in his eyes that he must be thinking of the days with them. Then it appeared his attention was back to her again." Now that you are full-fledged vampire now, they will be back to ensure such. They will want absolute evidence that you are now mine." Of course, they would. They wouldn’t trust that she was a vampire until they saw the proof of such with their own eyes. They would want any chance to catch them lying somehow so they could take her back to the academy. "I assume they will be here within the next half hour. That gives you time to get freshened up and ready for their arrival. I have clothes waiting for you in your bathroom." He pointed to a connected room to the left of the bed. "When you're done you can meet me in my office."
With that, he got up and out of the chair with a fluid grace that she had only seen one other vampire master such. That had been Vivian's father, Viktor, and she knew it was because he had been walking this earth for many centuries. How old could Lucian be then? It would have to make him the same age if not older than Viktor.
"I'll be waiting." With that he left the room with a sly smile on his face which made her curious what amusing secret he held from her. Moving the blanket from her, she realized that she was in a baggy shirt and a pair of shorts. Someone must have changed her from her clothes she had worn earlier. Looking at her shirt she was thankful at least it appeared they hadn't changed her bra and probably underwear. At least she felt less violated that way.