Absolution of Fate (Fate Series Book 3) (22 page)

 
As the broadcast continued, a new set of vampire-related laws were set forth, which had apparently passed secretly at various times over the years as part of other bills, and a branch of government specifically tasked with handling human-vampire relations was announced. At the end, he acknowledged the expectation of a lot of confusion and uncertainty, for both humans and vampires, in the coming months, but stressed his utmost confidence in the ability of the citizens of his great country, and the world, to move forward with dignity, understanding, and compassion.

Everyone remained silent for a few moments after the broadcast ended and the network went back to whatever late-night show was on at four o’clock in the morning.
 

“I can’t believe that about the Secret Service,” Alexa finally said. “Does that mean all those presidents knew all along?”

“Indeed, the information was passed along to every man to take the office. For some it wasn’t news, considering the fact that they were vampires themselves,” William said proudly.
 

“You can’t be serious!” Alexa said with shock. William simply nodded. “And this one?” she asked.

“He’s not,” William replied, “but the First Lady is.”

“Shit,” Alexa said with awe. “But wait, they have children. How is that possible? I thought humans and vampires couldn’t conceive with each other.”

“It doesn’t happen often,” Ethan replied. “Most of our kind have avoided mating with humans, but a vampire female can conceive with a human male.”

“So, what about the children?”

“They will be vampire as well.”

Alexa remained silent for a moment, pondering how much she still didn’t know about her own people. Even though she’d believed herself to be one for most of her life, she couldn’t imagine how humans around the world were feeling after hearing the truth.

“Maybe it’s just me, but I still can’t get over Tom Cruise. Did anyone else think it was funny that they used an actor who played a vampire to talk about our history?” Jared opined with a smirk. “It was probably one of his easier roles, considering he’s one of us,” William replied.

Both Alexa and Jared’s jaws dropped. “Shit, I can’t believe you never told me that, Dad. You know I loved that movie.”

“So why didn’t he say as much? Like the Secret Service?” Alexa asked.
 

“While we are openly sharing our existence, everyone involved has agreed that, for the time being, civilian vampires should not go out of their way to reveal themselves. We expect a fairly positive response from humans as a whole, but there will be groups who are intolerant and will perhaps resort to violence. It is part of, for lack of a better term, human nature. The last thing we need is for a civilian vampire to injure a human in self-defense,” William answered. “Now, while I know this has all been rather exciting, it will be dawn soon. We should all try to get some rest. It is going to be a long and important day.”

✧

“The world will never be the same,” Jared said as he and Cami made their way back to his room.

“I’ve never spent much time around humans. I imagine it will remain business as usual here on the compound.”

“Maybe for the next few hours, but based on what I could see from my father’s thoughts, we could very well be at war by the time the sun goes down.”

“Like I said; business as usual,” Cami replied, opening the door.

“This is different, Cami. It’s not going to be the occasional battle with a couple dozen soldiers or secret missions to clean up after the infected. You heard what Father said to Alexa. They expect Lucias to attack the factory tonight.”

Of course she knew it was different. As a ranking officer, she’d been party to the plans to draw Lucias out, but on the Commander’s orders, none of that information was to be shared, not even with her family or Jared, until he was certain about Lucias’s spy.
 

“You don’t need to worry. The Commander knows what he’s doing.”

“How can I not worry when the future is so uncertain?” he asked, pulling her close.

“The future is always uncertain, Jared,” she said, looking up at him through her lashes. He grasped one of her long curls between his fingers, pulled it down, then released it, letting it snap back into place. He loved her hair. She usually kept it pinned up, but now, whenever she wasn’t training, she left most of it down just for him.
 

Jared desperately wanted to make one piece of their future definite. He swallowed hard, suddenly nervous as he considered how to proceed. He knew Cami loved him, but they had only known each other for such a short time and her father had warned him that her ideas about mates and marriage were far from traditional.
 

He opened his mouth to speak, but before the words left his lips, she silenced him with a demanding kiss.
 

“I don’t want to worry about the future right now, Jared,” she panted when she broke away. “I just want to think about right here and right now.”

Disappointment flashed in his eyes and she noticed. “What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing; I guess I’m just tired,” he replied, lowering his head and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. She leaned into him and desire simmered between them, but she could still tell that something was bothering him. Then it hit her. He’d been acting strangely with her since he’d asked to speak privately with her father.
 

She smiled against his mouth and kissed him harder. For her whole life, the thought of marriage had made her cringe. Thinking of it with Jared, of being bound to him in such an intimate and unbreakable way, awakened a sense of hope and longing unlike anything she’d ever felt. She wanted it, and not on some far off day in the future. Her heart was screaming now.

Jared gripped her waist and pulled her closer, deepening their kiss, but Cami pulled back suddenly. He looked down at her, his eyes burning with lust and a hint of confusion.

She stared up at him, searching his eyes with her gaze, feeling so full of emotion she thought she would burst. “I want to be bound to you, Jared. Complete the mate bond with me now. Marry me.”

It wasn’t so much a question, as a demand. His eyebrows knitted together as he tried to understand. He searched her eyes for what felt like a lifetime to her.
 

“You’re so fucking pushy,” he growled, finally and crushed his mouth to hers. By the way he kissed her, she had her answer. Jared pulled her legs up around his waist and, in a flash, they were on the bed. A blur of tangled limbs sent their clothes flying. Jared nudged her legs apart and settled in between with his hard length pressing against her sensitive flesh.
 

“Are you sure?” he groaned out as he settled onto one arm and fought against the urge to push inside her. She responded by taking his other arm, turning her head, and sinking her fangs into his wrist. She kept her eyes pinned on his as his blood filled her mouth and he pushed his throbbing cock inside her. He licked up the length of her exposed neck and felt a shiver travel through her body, his mouth feeling full with the fangs that seemed to have dropped lower than he’d known was possible. Her vein rose to his call, making it impossible to resist any longer. The first taste of her blood mixed with his sent a new wave of sensation through both of their bodies as they became one in the most intimate of ways; every stroke, every caress, the exquisite fire of Cami’s climax building. All of it flowed between them as their blood linked them together forever.

When Cami’s orgasm washed through her body, it was impossible for Jared to hold on and he fell over the cliff of ecstasy right along with her. They both cried out as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through their bodies and their newly-formed bond. When the intensity of it all finally waned, Jared collapsed beside her and she cuddled up against his side. She touched her neck where the twin punctures burned with pleasure and realized they were still open, as were those on Jared’s wrist. Hooking her leg over Jared’s hips, Cami straddled him and pulled his wrist to her mouth, keeping her eyes locked on his as she swiped her tongue over the two marks. Jared growled as he watched and his eyes fell to the little trail of blood flowing down her neck and onto her breast. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her back as he licked over the punctures in her neck and ever so slowly followed the trail down until it was all gone.
 

They stayed there with her on his lap, their faces only inches apart, as they stared into each other’s eyes.
 

“I love you, Camille.”

“I love you, Jared.”

✧

Lucias’s roar shook the room before the remote crashed into the screen, shattering it completely.
 

Molly sat completely still, almost afraid to even breathe. She knew Lucias, perhaps better than anyone, and she’d seen him angry many times, but there was always a sense of control in it. What she was seeing was something else entirely. Like a rabid dog trapped in a corner, and perhaps for the first time since the night she met him, she feared for her life, knowing that the slightest provocation could incur his wrath.
 

He moved to the window and stared out into the darkness, remaining there for the longest time without saying a word, before he finally turned to Molly.

She carefully schooled her features and returned his gaze.
 

“I must admit, this,” he said flicking his hand towards the shattered television, “was unexpected.”

Molly let out a breath, seeing that he had regained control.
 

“What does it mean?” she asked carefully.

“Merely that we must be more cautious, but it also tells me The Elite have become desperate. The Agency recognizes my power. They know Claesson and his men cannot defeat me on their own, so they have turned to the humans for aid. There has been no movement around the compound so far, but they will bring human soldiers here. Fools. The Elite mean to use them as a shield to distract my men. They think if they have enough bodies they can overwhelm my army. But they know nothing of you, my pet, or the hundreds of others like you. They are going to bring thousands of highly- trained human soldiers right to my doorstep; mine for the taking,” he said with a sneer. The broadcast had enraged him, but the longer Lucias thought and the longer he talked, the more confident he felt that he would be able to use The Agency’s plan against them.
 

Molly smiled and stood to make her way over to him. She needed to keep up appearances, after all. Before she reached him,however, there was a knock at the door.

An expression of irritation spread over Lucias’s face. He flashed to the door and yanked it open. “You had better have an excellent excuse for disturbing me at this hour,” he hissed at the infected standing in the hallway.

“Yes, Sire. There is a soldier at the gate. He claims to be a friend of yours, but I have never seen him before.”

Without responding, Lucias sped to his desk and pulled up the security feed for the front gate. A wide smile spread across his face. “Bring him to me immediately,” he ordered. “Unharmed,” he amended.

✧

Molly watched with curiosity and suspicion as the two men embraced for a strangely long time.

“Christopher, what have you done?” Lucias said finally stepping back, but keeping his hands on the other man’s shoulders.

“I had to come. I was almost caught getting my last message to you and still it took me days to get it out. The information I have now couldn’t wait,” the man said nervously, his eyes moving to Molly for the first time. “Did you see the announcement? The humans know about us now.”

“Yes, I was watching. You can speak freely in front of her. Molly, this is Christopher Erikson, my oldest and most dedicated friend,” Lucias said, his tone bordering on pride. Looking at the pair, it was obvious there was a great deal of affection between the two men.
 

“It’s nice to meet you, Christopher,” Molly drawled, her tone dripping in sweetness.

“Molly is very special to me Christopher, I would like very much for the two of you to get better acquainted, but first you must tell me what is so important you would risk revealing yourself.”

“The virus, The Elite have found a cure.”

Lucias’s stare snapped to him, his expression one of disbelief. “That’s not possible,” he stated breathily.
 

“It is true. The two infected you sent to the compound; they are no longer yours. I heard it from the High Commander’s lips that his daughter’s husband was cured and later, before the broadcast, he spoke to the entire compound announcing they had developed an antiserum.”

If Molly thought Lucias seemed out of control after watching the President reveal the truth of their kind, it was nothing compared to what she saw in him now. He didn’t let it show in his demeanor, but it was in his eyes, which went as black as night, like two pools of pure hate.

“What else did you learn, how much of this antiserum do they have?” Lucias pressed as he struggled to compose himself again.

“Not much from what I can tell, but they have set up a laboratory outside of town to manufacture it around the clock. They expect to have enough for what they estimate to be your entire army within a week.”

Lucias ran a hand through his hair and began to pace, an uncharacteristic display of his anxiety over the news.

“You see why I had to come? But I have good news as well. I know the precise location of the lab,” Erikson said moving closer to Lucias whose expression immediately changed.

“That is good news. Do you know how many men guard it?”

“I wasn’t able to gather any further information. The compound has been on lockdown with all communications restricted since we arrived. I was only able to get out by sneaking through with a team on a supply run. It seems their blood rations have all but run out, forcing Commander Claesson to enlist the services of a blood dealer in the city. As soon as I got away from the team, I drew a group of infected to their location, so it is possible they weren’t able to get the shipment back, but I can’t be certain.”