VAMPIRE PRINCE

Chapter 3: Close Quarters

Gisellianna

“What the f**k, Exia? Why would you join forces with the Council and the vampire prince’s Halo? You know we don’t need them to find the ones responsible for abducting hunters?”

Exia’s expression becomes stony, her eyes growing cold and her lips tightening as she glares defiantly back at me. My sister has always been good at smacking me down when I’ve crossed the line with her. I can almost feel her reproving glower down to my bones. She crosses her arms in front of her chest and growls, “This is not about needing them, Giselliana. This is about reestablishing trust between the hunters and the supernatural world. I know that you don’t trust them, but we need allies. Mathias seems sincere, and the vampire prince’s Halo would make powerful allies. I told you this already. We need the Council’s backing to end these attempts on our lives. I honestly don’t understand why you object to this.”

I shake my head and slump down on the couch, unwilling to reveal the truth of my painful past. Exia might be my sister, and I love her dearly, but I know she would never understand the pain I’ve lived with for so long because of the rejection. She and Draven were the epitome of love at first sight. They both had hearts in their eyes the moment they met.

Plus, she called me by my full name, which tells me she felt edgy. She has always used it to make me feel like a wayward child who needs her older sister’s wisdom to guide me. It might have worked when I was younger, but it only pisses me off now that I’m full-grown.

“Stop calling me Giselliana to manipulate me, Ex; it’s beneath you. It’s Illiana or Lia to you,” I point a finger in reprimand as I circle her, “And it’s not that I don’t want allies. I just…” I shrug my shoulders defensively, “I guess I don’t trust as easily as you do.”

Exia arches a brow in a way that I know means she won’t budge. However, she does tone back her irritation, “Fine. But just so you know, I don’t trust you as easily as you think, Illiana. Did you forget that I lost my mate during the hunter wars?”

I nod respectfully; I remember how much Exia suffered when she lost Draven. It was easier for me to lose Tristan because we never formed a bond. Though that doesn’t mean his rejection didn’t hurt like hell because it did. But I learned to move on without him and even established relationships. Unfortunately, those relationships didn’t last because they eventually found their mates. However, I never wished them badly because mating is sacred, and mating instincts will never allow supernatural beings to stay with someone they weren’t meant to be with. When Tristan left me at the altar, I knew I’d always be doomed to have short-term relationships. The only concession hunters have is that if their mate dies, the bond will break, and the one who lives might get a second chance mate. Regrettably, I cannot kill my mate and free myself because there would be repercussions if I did, so I’m stuck.

How depressing is that?

Exia snaps me out of my thoughts as she continues to speak, “But that’s all in the past, and I know Draven would want me to be happy again. I also think there’s more that you’re not telling me.”

I reel under my sister’s suspicious gaze. My heart pounds wildly in my chest, and my fists tighten as I restrain from lashing out, “What?”

Her eyes narrow as she gazes intently into mine, “What’s going on, Lia? You’ve been prickly since we went to the Council.”

I shrug my shoulders, “I told you already. I don’t trust the Council.”

She gazes toward me contemplatively, her index finger tapping against her bottom lip as if she’s gauging my honesty, “Is it too soon? I know you spent years trapped in the Clinic. Do you need more time to get over the trauma?”

I roll my eyes and snort, “No, I don’t need more time. I won’t say being at the Clinic didn’t suck because that would be a lie, but I’m handling it. Can we please just…drop the subject? I’ll do what you ask, okay? Just don’t expect me to sit back if those assholes turn on us.”

Exia moves toward her desk and slides back into her tan leather chair with a grim nod, “Alright, I guess I can agree with that. Well, I have some clan business to take care of and…” she looks down at the smartwatch and winces, “…the meeting with Mathias started twenty minutes ago, so you better go and meet the others.”

I nod and turn to leave. However, before I can take a step, Exia calls out reproachfully, “Try to be cooperative. We need this to work out!”

I wave my hand as I teleport to the Garden of Eden nightclub. Fiona and Jules stop beside me and give me exasperated looks.

“Where the hell have you been?” Fiona growls.

As I enter the club, I give my niece a narrow-eyed glare, “I was talking to Exia.”

Fiona sighs exasperatedly, understanding that I’m not going to explain further. Even after years apart, Fiona understands when to back off, and I appreciate that about her.

Jules strides beside us, uncaring, as she continues to the elevator. The girl is dying to see her mate, which makes me envious that I don’t have someone like that.

As Fiona and I walk forward, men and women stop in front of us and blatantly flirt. I’ve never been into girls, but I experimented during the sixties. Unfortunately, I learned quickly that I prefer males. One, in particular, catches my eye as he gives me a smoldering smirk before turning back to the bar. He’s very tall, which I like. The male’s long hair is dark, his eyes are emerald, and his skin is the color of rich caramel. I appraise his masculine form and snicker when I see a hint of wildness. Based on his build and the intense vibes, I can tell he’s a Lycan. I have to say that Lycans can be very energetic in bed, and the idea holds appeal. As a hunter, I have a strong s*x drive, which became an issue when I met Tristan. Hunters experience a mating frenzy when they meet their mates. It’s similar to a werewolf’s mating heat. Thankfully, hunters only experience the frenzy when they’re around their mates. After Tristan left, my parents chained me to a bed and sedated me until the frenzy was over. Since Tristan wasn’t around to fulfill my awakened sexuality, I had to find a male to help me control it. A year after Tristan left, and I realized he would never return to me, I went on a trip to Spain. My parents didn’t try to stop me and promised never to tell anyone about Tristan. I think it was because they were embarrassed rather than upset over what Tristan did.

Soon after arriving in Spain, I met Christiano. The first thing that attracted me to Christiano was his intense blue eyes. It was like he could see right through me. Christiano was an artist, and the boy knew how to use his hands. I spent two years with Christiano until I realized he was in love with me, and I couldn’t return his love. Seeing that I had no choice, I broke things off. He was distraught, but eventually, he met and married a local girl. It was an endless cycle of meeting someone and leaving before they fell in love until I eventually kept my encounters casual. It was pointless to start something that I knew had an expiration date.

Several males, including the Lycan, approach us before I enter the elevator. Jules ignores the attention and continues walking. Since she’s mated, she has no interest in other males. Fiona glares at anyone approaching, throwing off the signal that she’s not interested. Unlike me, Fiona is not looking for a hookup. I can’t blame her. I guess her psycho ex made her wary of males.

Fiona, Exia, and I have truly been cursed in love. Exia’s loving mate died, Fiona’s mate imprisoned her for nearly two decades, and my mate had no clue that I was his mate but somehow rejected me anyway.

Oh yeah, our love lives are the epitome of a s**t show.

Without a word, I pull out a card and hand it to the emerald-eyed male, “I got s**t to do right now, but if you can wait an hour, text me, and we’ll meet somewhere,” I mutter huskily.

The male looks down at the card, then back at me, “I can wait,” he replies with a very sexy masculine voice.

As I walk past him, I wink, “If you do, you won’t regret it,” I call out before stepping into the elevator.

“Damn, auntie’s got game,” Jules presses the elevator button and mutters, impressed.

I give her a cocky smile and nod, “It’s been a couple of years since I’ve gotten laid, and I’m ready to make up for it.”

Fiona scoffs as the elevator ascends, “You know you don’t have to jump on the first c**k you see?”

I shrug and wave toward the elevator door, waggling my brows suggestively, “Did you see that guy? He was freaking hot and a Lycan, so you know he will be up for the challenge.”

Jules giggles, “If you’re like this now, I can’t imagine what you’d be like if you had a mate.”

My expression freezes, becoming brittle at my young niece’s careless comment. I want to growl with outrage, but I restrain myself. Jules doesn’t realize that she triggered hidden emotions since I never told anyone I have a mate.

Rather than show her my pain, I give her a cocky grin and retort, “No offense, kid, but mates are overrated. I like being able to pick who I fuck.”

Fiona places her arm around her daughter’s shoulders, “Yeah, not everyone is as lucky as you were in finding a mate that loves you, hon.”

Jules gives her mom a comforting smile, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But you shouldn’t give up. You’re both extremely strong, intelligent, and beautiful, which is obvious by all the attention you garnered when you walked through the club’s doors. What girl can say their mother, aunt and grandmother look like twenty-five-year-old supermodels?”

I look at Fiona and preen, “We are freaking hot for being several hundred years old.”

Fiona chuckles, “That’s true. I mean, other women our age are… well…dead.”

I join Fiona’s laughter but quickly become serious when the elevator doors open.

Jules leads the way.

Like before, I remain standoffish while Fiona and Jules give the males a warm welcome.

Rowan smiles at Jules and happily pulls her into his arms.

Mathias rises from his seat and bows respectfully, “Thank you for meeting us tonight, First Imperial Tueur and Visier Tueur. Please have a seat,” he gestures to an empty seat.

Jules sits on Rowan’s lap while Fiona and I sit across Tristan.

“Please, there’s no need to stand on titles. You can call us Fiona and Iliana,” Fiona mutters.

Mathias smiles agreeably, “You can call me Mathias.”

My glacial eyes clash with Mathias’ as I stiffly interject, “Exia sent us on her behalf since she has clan issues. However, Fiona and I are ready to infiltrate the locations on the list whenever you are.”

Tristan snaps up in his seat with trepidation, “What? You can’t go into a den of zealots unprepared.”

I quirk a brow and growl at his daring tone, “You do not have dominion over our clan, vampire prince. We are hunters, which means we are always prepared to fight.”

Tristan’s jaw ticks as he gazes intently into my eyes, “This is more than a hunting trip, Giselle. The angels say these people are taking and killing powerful females. Even with all of your training, you are risking capture.”

I scoff and disdainfully roll my eyes, “Risks are necessary for our survival, vampire. Or did you forget that hunters managed to survive despite the supernatural world’s hateful actions?”

He shakes his head, “This is not about that.”

Before I retort, Mathias interjects, “Can we please discuss a plan rather than commence an argument that will not lead anywhere?”

The woman behind Tristan places her hand on his shoulder, making my fists tighten with rage. When Rowan leans close to Tristan and gives him a “what the f**k is going on?” look, I realize Tristan’s mistake. He called me Giselle, which reveals a familiarity between us. All I can do is hope that no one noticed or they’d brush it off if they did.

I relax my stance and nod, “You’re right. We should be planning rather than arguing.”

Mathias observes us for a moment and clears his throat, “I agree with Iliana. However, I also agree that we must establish a plan to successfully capture these zealots and the traitor in the Council.”

Fiona elbows me and gives me a warning look before she replies, “Sorry about that. It’s been a long time since Iliana, and I have worked with anyone outside our clan. You must understand that it will take some time to trust other supernaturals.”

Everyone gives the hunters an understanding nod, which puts Fiona at ease.

“So, what do we do?” I ask.

“I think we should go into these dens, recon, and meet to discuss what we discovered. Just don’t get caught. We can’t risk them discovering why you’re there, so you must remain calm no matter what happens. From the information you shared, and my men gathered, the Hand of God chooses females based on their power level. Because of that, they gravitate toward places supernatural females can be found. Once they find the female they….”

As Mathias continues to explain the plan, I consider all angles. There’s no way I will leave my safety to a Council member or a vampire. After everything that happened to my family and me, I can’t fully trust anyone─not, even my mate. That’s a lesson Fiona and I learned the hard way.

While the others ask questions, Rowan rises to meet his brothers and the dhampir male he said fostered him. The dhampir is very attractive, with nearly angelic features. If he didn’t show a hint of fang, I’d assume he was an angel by how ethereal he looked with his golden-brown hair and honey-colored eyes. Most supernaturals have gold eyes, but his eyes show a great deal of emotion that I find intriguing. He’s also very tall, at about six-foot-three, and his body is lean and muscled.

His stoic expression searches around until his eyes land on Fiona.

Hmm…interesting. I think as I observe the dhampir appraise my niece.

Fiona is extremely beautiful, with golden-brown hair and blue eyes. Like me, she is tall with a willowy frame. To my surprise, Fiona looks at the vampire and blushes before she looks away.

What the actual f**k? I find myself musing because I can see that something is developing there. Fiona deserves to be happy after everything that asshole ex-husband of hers did, so I wish her well.

Now that I think about it, The Council executed Dr. Romanis.

Could my niece have found her new mate?

As I appraise both of them, I hope I am right, and the dhampir will be kind to her. Fiona deserves it after everything she suffered at the hand of her ex, Dr. Romanis.

The dhampir must notice that I’m looking at him because he clears any expression from his face and tears his gaze from Fiona.

“So, since the list of locations is extensive, we’ll have to divide and conquer. Perhaps the hunters can partner with the vampires.”

My head snaps up at his word, but before I can say anything, the werewolf, Carrick’s mate Haley, sputters, “What about us? We can help,” she argues.

Everyone looks away uncomfortably, unwilling to state the obvious. Unlike the other mates, Haley is human, which means she can be hurt or killed easily.

Haley gazes around and waits for a response, but her mate and the others refuse to answer. Seeing that someone needs to pull the perpetual bandage, I reply, “I know you want to help, little human, but you’d only get hurt.”

Haley’s face falls as she gazes into her mate’s eyes, “You know I can help, Carrick.”

Carrick gazes lovingly down at his fragile mate and says, “It’s too dangerous, Hales. We can’t risk it.”

Haley’s eyes tear, but she tries to hide them, which makes something inside of me hurt for her. Though she is mated to a powerful werewolf, she is still a fragile human, making her an outsider to our world.

“But I trained, and I can fight,” she argues.

I have to give it to her; she’s tenacious, which I admire. However, it means very little against our superhuman strength.

Mathias interjects as he gently replies, “I’m sure you’re exemplary in your skills, Haley. But you’re not going up against humans here. It’s just how it is.”

I move closer and gaze into her determined eyes, “Look, kid, the fact is that you have no chance against our superhuman strength no matter how hard you train.”

Haley visibly deflates with disappointment, “Alright,” she mumbles before tucking herself into her large mate’s embrace.

Jules leans close to her and whispers, “Don’t worry, Hales, we’ll figure out a way to train you to fight sups.”

I look back at Mathias and restrain from arguing when my niece places her hand on my shoulder and tells the seraphim, “I’ll contact you to see if we can meet again and set a plan into motion.”

Mathias nods, “Yes, the sooner we begin, the better.”

I step back and call out, “Well, it looks like we’re done here, so I’ll take my leave.”

Jules waggles her eyebrows, “Can’t wait to meet that hot Lycan waiting for you downstairs, huh?”

I try to play it off like it’s no big deal, but I can’t help but feel gratified when Tristan’s head snaps to mine and his expression becomes stormy.

Without a word, I wave at everyone and walk to the elevator. Before the doors close, a large, masculine hand halts their progress, and Tristan steps inside.

I try to ignore him as he stops beside me. Unfortunately, it’s hard to ignore a six-and-a-half-foot male who smells like sandalwood and eucalyptus. My nostrils flare as I take in his heady scent, and my body instantly heats. It will always be this way for me. Though I have been with others, my body will always crave its mate.

Leaning against the wall, I cross my arms in front of my chest and feign a casualness that I don’t feel.

Tristan’s lips open and close as if trying to come up with something to say, but to my relief, the doors open.

Just as I’m stepping out, the Lycan male stops in front of me; his eyes gleam with desire as he gazes appraisingly across my body.

“I’ve been anxiously waiting for you to walk out the doors, my beauty.”

Before I retort, Tristan wraps his hand around my wrist and turns me to face him, “I thought perhaps we could discuss a plan.”

I shake my head and glance back at the Lycan, who gives me an expectant look, “Sorry, but I have other plans.”

Tristan’s expression darkens further as he catches my meaning.

I know he’s my mate, but he gave up any rights to me when he left, so I don’t feel bad for implying that I’m looking to get laid.

Rather than let things go, Tristan sends the Lycan an irritated glare and flashes his royal amethyst-colored eyes at him.

To my shock, he pulls me close and states, “Did you tell your family about our betrothal?”

I sputter, and my eyes widen as I gaze incredulously at him. I can’t believe he would dare ask me that question.

To my irritation, the Lycan backs away and mutters, “You’re engaged to a Halo Master? What the f**k?”

Before I can retort, he turns around and walks away.

You have to understand that in our world, even the hint of mating or betrothal is an automatic sign for others to back off, which is why the Lycan is so upset.

Jaw tight, I growl with rage, grip Tristan by the lapel of his jacket and pull him to an empty alcove. It’s not an easy feat considering he’s a big male. However, it doesn’t help that he’s not putting any real resistance.

“What the hell, vampire? What is your damage that you had to cockblock me that way?”

His lip quirks with amusement, making me fume more, “I was just asking a question. It’s not my fault the Lycan got scared.”

I shake my head and push at his chest, releasing his shirt. I try not to look too closely at how the shirt molds against his broad chest and how good it feels to be close to him.

“Oh, I think you know exactly what you’re doing, vampire. I just don’t understand why. What makes you think I would share the most humiliating experience of my life with my family? What would I have even said? Hey, Jules, you know the tall vampire asshole related to your mate? That douchebag and I were engaged several hundred years ago until he left me at the altar. Is that what I’m supposed to say?” I bark menacingly.

Tristan’s expression falters as he determines the severity of what he did to me. I’m sure he feels guilty about what he did, but he never thought about how it would affect me.

“I told you I was sorry,” he replies dejectedly.

I shrug, “Yeah, and I told you I was over it until you….” I poke his chest with my index finger and gesture to the Lycan across the room, “…freaking brought it up and made me miss an opportunity. Seriously, what does it matter to you anyway? From what I can remember, you wanted nothing to do with me. You even brought women around to show me how undesirable you thought I was. So what’s with the damn posturing now?”

His lips tighten as his guilt turns to remorse, “I never said that I found you undesirable.”

I shake my head at his nonanswer, “Okay, but that’s all in the past. It’s been centuries since we last spoke, and suddenly you’re acting weird.”

Tristan shakes his head, “I know. You’re right. I guess I don’t know why I’m acting this way,” his expression heats as he gazes into my eyes, “But you should know that I always thought you were beautiful.”

I open my lips to answer, but he leans down and crushes my lips against his before I can. I’m so surprised that I don’t hesitate to kiss him back. The feel of his lips against mine is amazing. I feel like I’ve been drowning and can finally breathe. Without a thought, my body melts against his, and my arms wrap around his waist. Within minutes we’re both practically inhaling each other. Our ragged breathing combines with the club’s music, and our bodies sway to the rhythm as our tongues and lips search.

Tristan’s large hands slide up my spine as he grinds his hips against mine. We cling together, our chest molding as we savor each other’s heavenly tastes. The kiss is like no other I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve met some talented kissers. I guess it’s because he’s my mate, and though we’re not together, the bond is still there─watching and waiting.

It’s only when a drunken couple stumbles upon us that we break apart.

Our lips are swollen, and our chests harshly expand as we gaze into each other’s eyes.

Desire quickly turns into panic when I realize what I’ve just done.

Flinching back, I mutter an excuse, “I…I should go.”

Tristan dazedly nods before he calls out, “Wait…Giselle…I… we should probably plan.”

I nod, “Yeah…um, I’ll let my sister know.”

Before he can ask another question, I flee, completely confused about what just occurred.

What have I done?