Chapter 21

Charlotte Sanguinite

I'm warm and comfortable when a thudding sound has me stirring.

My brows wrinkling, I bury my face in Robert's chest, wanting the annoying sound to stop. However, it's like a consistent drum, refusing to take a break.

Wait…Robert's chest?

My eyes fly open, and I realize I'm in my room, but I'm not alone on the bed. Robert is holding me in his arms, his eyes closed, his breathing deep.

What is he doing in here?

The room is cold. I'm tucked inside the blanket as he holds me to him, but Robert is on top of it.

Silly man. I touch his hands and feel displeased. He's like a block of ice. He should have climbed under the covers with me.

The pounding sound intensifies, and I figure out it's coming from downstairs. Someone's banging on the front door.

"Robert." I shake him, but he doesn't respond. Robert isn't a heavy sleeper. Worried, I shake him harder.

He moves slightly.

With no other choice, I get out of bed, still in the sweatshirt and pants that I put on at the animal shelter.

"Robert!" I try to wake him up again, and this time, his eyes open slightly.

"What?" He almost sounds drugged.

"Somebody's downstairs at the door."

He gives me a confused look, and I press my lips together, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. What is wrong with him? He's one of the most alert people I know!

"I'm going to go see who it is," I tell him. "In the meantime, wake up!"

I can't find my shoes, so I hurry downstairs barefoot. It's still raining outside, and the house is way too cold. I adjust the thermostat before I answer the door.

I recognize the man.

"Hi."

Harry Montgomery, Robert's assistant, stares at me. "What are you doing here?"

"I was sleeping till you started trying to break the door down." I give him an irritated look. "Robert's asleep."

Harry tries to push past me, but I block his path, my voice hard. "He's sleeping. This better be important."

I've never seen Robert sleep so deeply. He must be exhausted. If his body wants him to rest, I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone wake him up.

"It is important!" Harry hisses at me. "So, get out of my way!"

"I told you, Robert's resting—"

"I'm up." The tired voice from behind me prompts me to look at the staircase. Robert asks, "What do you want, Harry? It's two in the morning."

"I've been calling you for an hour." Harry gives him a distressed look. "Florian. We found him."

All the tiredness vanishes from Robert's eyes. "What do you mean, you found him?"

Harry meets his gaze. "You told me to check on him because you couldn't get a hold of him this evening. Thing is, he got a call from someone after lunch, and one of the security guys told me he said he'd be popping home for a bit. I sent some men to his house. His body was in the bathtub."

I sink my teeth into my lower lip to stop my gasp.

There is a terrible look on Robert's face, and his voice is thin and cold, chilling my blood. "Let's go."

I watch him leave without so much as a second glance at me. The door closes after him with a controlled, quiet click.

I know who Florian is. He came over to the house a few days ago to introduce himself. He's been watching the cafe to make sure no vampires bother me. My heart aches. He was a huge, hulking man, but whenever he spoke to me or our eyes met, he always had a smile ready for me.

I drag myself to the kitchen to make myself some coffee. I won't be able to sleep now. Not till Robert comes back.

******

The sun is out when Robert finally shows up.

There is grief in his eyes, a heavy, crippling sorrow that breaks my heart. My body moves without warning, and I wrap my arms around him. He remains still for a moment before his own arms rise to wrap around my neck.

I can feel the unsteady breaths against my hair, and I murmur, "Are you okay? What can I do?"

He doesn't speak, just holds me tighter. We stand like that for a couple of long minutes, and when he pulls away, he says roughly, "Coffee. Please."

He sits down at the kitchen table, and I reheat the pot I just made an hour ago. Pouring him a cup, I place it in front of him before sitting down across the table.

"I'm sorry about Florian."

Robert stares down into his cup, his hands wrapped around it. "Yeah. So am I. He didn't deserve this."

"Do you know who killed him?" I ask hesitantly.

"The Nelo Clan."

Robert's tone is dull, and I don't know why I feel so shocked, or so guilty. I don't have any association with the clan anymore, but I do have Beruth's blood in my veins. Maybe that's why this ball of guilt is settling in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm sorry."

My apology has him looking up at me. "Why're you sorry? You didn't do anything."

I give him a tight-lipped smile. "Can't help it."

"This has nothing to do with you." Robert reaches out to grasp my hand. "I'm not so small-minded as to hold you responsible for what your clan does. And I had warned Florian to be careful. He got a call on his phone from an informant asking to meet at his house. The informant was also dead. The two vampires injected wolfsbane into Florian. He tried to resist, but they wanted to send a message. The whole place was a fucking bloodbath."

I can sense his pain, and I wish I knew how to fix it. But he's grieving, and grief can't be fixed.

"How do you know it was two—"

"We have an eyewitness. A neighbor's kid. He took photos of the vampires entering with the informant. The latter placed the call to Florian, and they must have killed him immediately after. Florian showed up, and they ambushed him at his front door. The kid took a picture of that, as well, and one last one of the two vampires leaving."

"Were you able to identify them?" I ask, feeling sick to my stomach.

"Not yet, but I'll look into it."

"Show me the photos."

Robert hesitates before taking out his phone.

I study the first picture, and my heart begins to race as I see a familiar face. "That one. He's Seth Morgan. My father's right-hand man. He does all of his dirty work. The other one I'm not so sure about, but I think he's one of Seth's people. I've seen that face before, bu—"

My voice cuts off as I suddenly remember a night from long ago, before I lost my abilities. I had been unable to sleep and wandered out into the compound, looking for my father. I heard screams and followed the source, only to see a vampire leaning over a young man. That wasn't the only time I saw such a scene.

"This one," I breathe, a flash of fear striking me. "He's dangerous. Very dangerous. His name is Michael. I don't know his full name, but he's called ‘The Butcher' among the clan. He's a sadistic monster. Seth and my father were grooming him to become one of their strongest soldiers. He would bring human victims to the compound, late in the night, and drink from them in the most horrifying ways. He would torture them till they were begging for death." I slide the phone back to Robert, my hands shaking. "I was a child when I first saw him and found out who he was. All these years later, they've probably succeeded with whatever they were trying to mold him into."

Robert covers my hands with his. "If I were to show you photos of some of the vampires from your clan, do you think you could identify them?"

I don't have to think twice. "Of course. I might not recognize some of the younger ones, but the older ones, I should be able to."

"I have some of the pictures here, and the rest are at the office. I'll bring those over to the cafe when you're on break." He studies me. "Are you sure you're comfortable with this?"

"I have no loyalty to the Nelo Clan," I tell him seriously. "I have no loyalty to anyone, to be honest, except for you. So, if you need my help, I'll gladly give it."

Robert holds my gaze, and there is something in his eyes as he murmurs, "What about Terrence?"

"What about him?" I blink.

"You don't care about him?"

His question is odd. "Why would you think I care about Terrence? He's part of the Nelo Clan."

"But he has feelings for you," Robert presses.

My lips curve, but my jaw is tight. "A few sweet words aren't going to make me swoon at somebody's feet. Terrence is my past. Even if he means well, I don't want anything to do with him. I'm not something that needs to be fixed, and I don't need anybody making decisions for me."

"He can give you a family, Charlotte. Children. Everything you might not be able to have otherwise."

I get to my feet, flustered and annoyed. "What is this, Robert? Why do I feel like you're trying to push me into Terrence's arms? I don't want him! Get it into your head! I stopped dreaming about having a family years ago, and just because someone is dangling that in front of me doesn't mean I'm going to jump at the chance. I'm happy with my choice!"

When Robert stands up, he towers over me, making my heart skip a beat. "And who is your choice?"

His voice is deceptively soft. I push down the instinctive shyness, letting my fury dictate my words.

"You. I already chose you. I'm in your house, aren't I? I'm no longer pushing you away. So, for however long I can hold on to this particular happiness, I will. And when you have to leave me, eventually, I'll accept that, too." My heart burns with an emotion that is hard to suppress. "I've tasted the harsh realities of life, Robert. I know not to expect anything from anyone. I know that love, in all forms, is conditional on one thing or another. Right now, what we have, I'm happy with it. But I also know that this thing between us has an expiration date. You don't have to keep checking to see which side I'm loyal to, because I'm loyal to you. I've chosen you. And when you leave me, don't think I'm going to go running off to Terrence. He is never going to be an option for me!"

Robert's eyes narrow, and I expect him to say something harsh. I don't know why. Perhaps it's the way he's looking at me, that raging emotion in his eyes.

His fingers wrap around my jaw in a firm hold, his voice silken. "You don't know anything about shifters when they are in a relationship, do you? My wolf chose you, little vampire. It has staked a claim on you. And once a wolf stakes a claim, there is no going back. There is no choosing another. You have no idea how far I am willing to go to keep you tied to me. You're not going to be able to walk away from this now. You had your chance to do so."

My heart quivers in my chest at the sheer weight of what he is saying, but I refuse to back down. "Good. Because I'm not going anywhere."

The tension between us is a vivid, physical thing.

I know he's hurting from the loss of his friend. My own pain is different; I'm angry that he seems to think I value myself so little that I'd go running back to the people who hurt me so viciously.

I turn around, wanting to go calm down, but Robert has other plans. Spinning me back into his arms, his mouth crashes against mine in a mixture of heat, desire, and need, and I feel myself sink into him.

His body is hot to the touch, his kiss hard and punishing. I don't mind, needing the contact, the roughness, to soothe my own anger at his words.

However, it's never easy to stay mad at Robert. As he relaxes his grip on me, his kisses become gentle, and he whispers hoarsely, "I need you."

My anger fades away with the next heartbeat as I see the raw grief in his eyes. My arms reach out to wrap around his neck, and I pull his head down for a deep kiss.

As he picks me up and carries me to the bedroom, I make a mental note to apologize to Jazz for not showing up to work today.

******

"You're walking funny again," Jazz observes, grinning as she empties the dishwasher. "I know what that means."

The kitchen door opens, and Gina walks out with a tray of glasses. "So, I take it things are going well with you and Robert?"

"I'd say they are," Jazz laughs as I try to ignore their sly teasing. "She called in again yesterday. You're lucky I'm such an accommodating manager. I take my employees' love lives into consideration."

"I'm glad you're happy, Charlotte." Gina sets down the tray and pats my shoulder, smiling at me. "Everyone needs a little love in their life."

"And speaking of love, your boyfriend is here." Jazz points out the window. "See?"

As I look over to see Robert crossing the street, I hear Jazz whisper, "She doesn't even deny he's her boyfriend."

"I hear wedding bells," Gina chuckles.

Just then, Robert opens the door, and when he sees me all flushed, he grins. "Happy to see me?"

Jazz proceeds to start whistling "Here Comes the Bride," and I feel my face burn. "Jazz!"

"What?" she asks, innocently. "Am I bothering you? I'm sorry."

Robert gives us all confused looks as Gina bursts into laughter and walks into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" he asks, leaning on the counter between us.

"Ignore them." I shoot Jazz a nasty look, but she just winks at me.

"I'm taking my break now," I announce, untying my apron. "And we're finding the furthest seat from you, Jazz."

Her snicker is infectious, and my lips twitch as I guide Robert to a booth in the back.

"I'll have a latte, Jazz," Robert calls out as he follows me. "And three muffins and two of those beef sandwiches."

"Gotcha." Jazz grabs a mug, but then asks, "For here or to go?"

"To-go." He shoots me an apologetic look. "I just came in to talk to you for a few minutes and get something for the road."

"The road? Are you going somewhere?"

"One of my people who was investigating one of the disappearances in the slums was reported missing hours after Florian's murder. We're trying to track him down, and I'd like to be there myself. I also wanted you to take a look at this." He reaches into his pocket and brings out a document, which he hands to me. "Does this mean anything to you?"

The odd-looking script is familiar to me. "It's one of the old languages that was created during the wars between the vampires and the shifters. The Nelo Clan was prominent back then. It had a female leader named Jean Sanguinite. She's my ancestor. Jean was prominent in creating the language, and she turned the tides of the war."

"That was in the 1400s." Robert looks at me seriously. "I remember. It's in our archives. Jean and Lucian, one of the Alphas, negotiated with each other, and territories were decided upon. Even now, those territory lines are in place. That's why what Beruth is doing is so dangerous."

I look down at the writing, my voice soft. "My father is trying to expand his territory, isn't he?"

"Yeah. That will result in another war."

"And I don't think that's all he's doing." I set down the document, raising my gaze to meet Robert's.

His eyes turn sharp. "What do you know?"

"Nothing, per se, but my father isn't going to put in years of effort just for some territory. Before I was kicked out, he had begun meeting with leaders of other clans. That's very rare for our kind. We don't ally with other clans. It's done only in extreme circumstances."

"But they're allied now?" Robert asks slowly.

I wet my lips. "I'm not saying I know what's happening, but I would say you need to be looking for a bigger picture than just the Nelo Clan trying to get wolf shifters addicted to drugs."

"They're using our people as ingredients!" Robert scowls. "This is not merely some—"

I stare at Robert, my brows furrowing. "If they were using shifters as an ingredient, wouldn't the users pick up on it?"

"Yes, but—"

"But you can't know because hardly any have survived, and those that have are barely functional," I murmur. When Robert looks sideways at me, I give him a faint smile. "I stay away from the supernatural world, but that doesn't mean I don't hear things."

Robert presses his lips together. "What are you getting at, Charlotte? You think we're being played?"

I can sense his agitation, and I choose my words carefully. "I think you are seeing what my father wants you to see. He's a very manipulative man and an extremely meticulous one. Don't trust everything you see."

Robert's expression twists, and I immediately gesture with my hands for him to calm down. "I'm just saying, Robert. There's no special meaning to my words. I don't know what the Nelo Clan is planning, but I find a few things suspicious. This piece of paper, for starters. This language was invented to communicate secretly between allied clans. If any shifter pack caught the messenger, not only would they not be able to understand the contents of the message, the vampire delivering it wouldn't, either. Only the top personnel within each clan knew the language. So, this document," I wave it in front of him, "is not a good sign."

"You're saying you can't decode it?" Robert sounds disappointed.

I shake my head. "I'm afraid not. My brother would have been able to. I began learning the language when I was young, but when I lost my abilities, I also lost all the privileges that the children of the clan leader receive."

Robert sighs. "Well, I figured getting our hands on this was too good to be true. You don't know anybody who might be able to read it?"

I'm about to say no, but the word gets stuck in my throat. I do know somebody who can. I just don't know if he will.

"Terrence," I grimace. "He and Clyde studied the language together. But he won't decode it for me. I don't think he will, anyway. But I can give it a shot—"

"No." Robert's expression tightens. "We'll find another way."

I can see the frustration in his eyes, and I wish I could help.

As Jazz calls out to him to pick up his order, he takes out his wallet. I roll my eyes at him. "Don't be ridiculous. I've got it."

Grinning, Robert steals a kiss from me. "Ricky's going to come pick you up here today, so be good and wait for him."

I don't get the chance to say anything because Robert's already walking away from me.

Jazz sighs as I come to stand by the counter. "The way he looks at you! I would give anything to have a man look at me like that."

I eye her questioningly, and she gives me a rueful smile. "I broke things off with Marcus. Dad was right, I guess. With me busy all the time, my lovely boyfriend decided to entertain himself in other ways. Caught him in bed with Sally, one of his fans."

"I'm sorry, Jazz." I give her a sympathetic look.

She shrugs. "It is what it is. Besides, I was starting to get sick of wearing that stupid collar of his. Next guy I date is going to be a straight arrow. No more of this kinky shit."

The bell at the entrance rings, and I squeeze Jazz's hand. "You were too good for Marcus anyway."

Suddenly, I can feel the new customer's energy.

Wolf shifter.

I'm about to sneak to the back room when I remember I'm wearing the bracelet.

As Jazz takes the shifter's order, I study her. She's pretty with dark hair. She's wearing sunglasses, so I can't see her eyes. I'm busying myself restocking the coffee grounds when two more women walk in.

Also shifters.

Since Jazz is busy with the first customer, I smile at the two women, comfortable knowing they don't know what I am.

"Hi, what can I get you ladies?"

They don't smile back, a ruthless gleam in their eyes as they look at me. It's hard to maintain the frozen smile on my face.

When they don't say anything, I point at the chalkboard by the entrance. "We have a few Halloween specials, if you're interested."

"Two flat whites," one of the women says. "Hot."

"Of course."

As I turn around to prepare their drinks, my chest feels uncomfortable. I can't help but recall the night Arabella attacked me. I don't know why, but my guard is up. As I prepare the drink, the girls become chatty all of a sudden.

"So, are you a barista full time?"

"Yes," I reply reluctantly, not wanting to engage them.

"It must be hard, serving other people all day."

There is a mocking tone in their voices. Their words don't bother me, though. I don't have a problem with my job. I like it. But they clearly seem to think it is beneath them.

"Jazz, can you ring them up?" I glance at my friend; she's watching the two women, a strange look in her eyes. The customer she was serving is now sitting at one of the tables, sipping her drink.

"Sure." Jazz rings up their order, and when the women move away from me, I feel relieved.

I place their coffees on the counter. "Here you go."

One of them smirks at me, and as they reach for their drinks, I see a look in their eyes that has my instincts screaming. I'm already grabbing the steel tray, and when they fling the hot drinks at me, I shield myself. Some of the coffee splashes on my exposed fingers.

Jazz cries out in alarm. The feeling of déjà vu has me spinning inside.

Why is it always the coffee?!

"Charlotte!" Jazz is by my side in an instant.

As I lower the tray, both women glare at me fiercely, and the taller one spits at me. "Stay away from Robert Montgomery! Next time, I won't be so lenient!"

The shifter who had arrived first hurries over and steps in front of the women, her voice dangerous. "What do you think you're doing?!"

But I toss the tray aside, my blood boiling. My fingers are throbbing, but I don't care. I march past the counter and over to the two women, pushing the interloper aside. "Robert? You're warning me away from my boyfriend? Have you two lost your minds?"

"Do you know who I am?" The taller one, who seems to be the ringleader between the two, glowers at me.

"I don't care." I enunciate each word, getting right in her face. There is something wild clashing inside me, a blood thirst that I have so rarely experienced. I don't care about the coffee. The rage inside me is focused on the fact that these women want to separate Robert and me. "Robert's mine. If you want to try to do something about it, go ahead. But if I ever see you around him, I'll do far worse to you than simply throw coffee in your pretty little face."

Even as those words come out of me, it feels like somebody else is speaking them.

It shocks me that I mean every word of my threat.

The woman's face pales for a second, but then she bares her teeth. "You think you can threaten me? Robert is just biding his time with a slut like you. In the end, I'm the one he's going to marry!"

My blood turns cold at her words.

She must've seen the shock in my face because her laughter is high and cruel. "That's right, I'm his fiancée, you bitch!"