“I didn’t think I would ever have a reason to be happy again… how could I after losing everything that was me? But when A. J. was born and born apparently normal I… I started to have hope, hope that…” she explained, feeling the anger, frustration, and aggression evaporate into sadness.
“But now Silvano has come to give the final blow. He’s going to steal my life, my hope, and any chance I could possibly have at being happy ever again. This time it’s quite possibly for eternity…. it’s not fair,” Lily finished softly, turning away from James, not wanting him to see the depths of her despair or her tears that fell freely down her cheeks.
James laid a hand on her shoulder as he spoke softly but with clear determination. “That won’t happen Lily.”
She shook her head and shrugged off his hand. “You don’t know that James! Just look at what is happening now! I have attacked you; I’m not trusted to be out alone or alone with my own nephew! I’m being treated as some kind of monster! I can handle that from the pack but from my family…” Lily snapped and started to move away from him but he grabbed her arms and despite her resistance he pulled her until her back rested against his chest.
“I told you attacking me don’t count, you always do that. You just did it now and it’s no big deal. Everyone who truly knows you trust you and knows you would never do anything to harm your nephew or any of your family. Liz is just being over protective,” he argued and she shook her head.
“That’s the thing, James. I’m not sure they should! I’ve drunk from him once and no one, absolutely no one knows what the consequences of that are is. He could be able to control me, use me to hurt those around me! As much as it pisses me off and frustrates me, Liz is completely rational in her distrust,” she finished, her head sinking down to her chest.
James his face close to her ear to speak to her. “No, she’s not, and he’s not going to control or use you. I refuse to let that happen to you,” he growled softly, the strength and determination behind it startled her slightly. “I was too late… too late to stop Xavier from stripping you of all those things but it won’t happen again,” he continued with the same soft tone and turned her to face him.
The look of determination on his face surprised her when he simply shook his head. “I swear Lily. I swear that I will do whatever it takes, no matter what the cost, to save you from Silvano.” Lily turned her face up to look at him and suddenly got an idea on how to really stop Silvano from ever being able to control her. Her mind raced over everything she had heard about blood bonds of the vampires and the mate bond of the lycanthropes.
The blood bond was practically the same as a mate bond only that it had different intentions she had been told. What if, she wondered, what if the blood bond could be prevented by a mate bond? What if she let James mark her, could that prevent Silvano from being able to complete the blood bond? A sliver of hope started to spark inside her but doubt as well. What would be the implications of a mate bond? How would letting James mark her affect her now that she was starting to feel the other stuff?
She didn’t like the idea of becoming some kind of sappy idiot blubbering over James all the time however James had told her that the mark didn’t create any feelings that weren’t already there. So theoretically, she thought, I wouldn’t change it all if he marked me, well if he was telling the truth that is. But what choice do you have Lily, she asked herself as she remembered the dream she had a couple days ago.
It featured Silvano and her together intimately and what was worse, she enjoyed it, a lot. It was proof that her fears were true. Silvano was tainting her and stripping away the last pieces of what made her, her. She would become the enslaved plaything of the vampire to do with what he wished. Lily looked back at James, but this time really tried to see James as he was.
He really wasn’t that bad of a guy. He could be a royal pain in the ass, but he was also forgiving, patient, and kind. James wanted to be her mate out of the desire to have her as a partner in his life and by asking her if she was willing to give being mates again a try was proof that James thought and cared about her. He didn’t want to force her into being mates because that’s what he thought they were supposed to be.
James cared about her and she was confident that James would do his best to make sure that not only she but A. J. were as happy as possible. Lily looked again to James and took a slow deep breath. “I think I have an idea how to stop Silvano,” she stated and now he looked at her in surprise.
“Stop him? How?” he asked eagerly and she took another breath. Here we go, she thought before telling him her idea about the mate bond. When she finished, James just stood there staring at her with a dumbfounded look on his face. “Are you serious?” he asked her after several minutes of staring but the look of disbelief still on his face. She nodded a little hesitantly and told him that she was.
“No,” he told her sharply and shook his head taking a step back from her.
“No?” she repeated confused. “But why? Isn’t that what you wanted in the first place? For us to be mates again?” She asked following and he suddenly turned to face her, looking almost angry at her.
“Is that what you think Lily? Is that really what you think I want?” he demanded and she was so taken aback she just simply opened and closed her mouth a few times at first unsure how to answer.
“Well… yeah,” she replied slowly, completely not understanding why he seemed so upset and he looked at her dumbfounded again.
“Unbelievable,” he said shaking his head again and started to walk out of the room.
“Excuse me,” Lily demanded following him out of the room. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You’re the one that wanted to give being mates another try. Well, here I am, agreeing with it.” She shot back, and he scoff again.
“No Lily, you’re not. This isn’t wanting to try to be together. This is your desperate move to try to save yourself. ” he shot back and Lily stopped for a moment in her own disbelief.
“Of course I’m trying to save myself, James! I don’t want to be his slave,” she shot back.
“I told you I wouldn’t let that happen,” he replied as he shoved open the doors of the gym and stormed out into the parking lot. Lily jogged to catch up to him, placing a hand on his arm trying to stop his march.
“And how exactly do you plan on doing that James? He can persuade you to do nothing just with a single look. None of us have a real clear plan on how we are going to stop this vampire, a powerful vampire king from making me drink from him. Each time I do he’s going to have more control over me to the point I won’t want you to stop me from drinking from him James,” she explained.
James sighed and stuck his hands in his jacket pockets. “I told you I will do whatever I can to stop him,” he told her then cut her off as she tried to speak. “Whatever but this. We can’t do it like this Lily. I want you to be with me, not out of desperation or fear but because you want me. I refuse to be used like this.”