Chapter Twenty-Six
Gwen
Ajax didn’t think he had a slave mentality anymore, but there were still aspects of his personality only a former slave would have. That was okay. I understood him. We’d be fine.
Abbott visited us a few days after we were able to return home. Our neighborhood was in horrible shape, and our upstairs had been vandalized, but the miscreants hadn’t found the basement areas. We all lived downstairs while Abbott supplied contractors to fix the aboveground portions.
This worked just fine, because it meant the four of us spent more time around each other. It also meant Arabella didn’t have as much to clean while we got used to this new arrangement. Unfortunately, they had to deal with the smaller downstairs kitchen, but they made it work, and the two seemed to have fun redesigning and expanding the huge upstairs kitchen and pantry.
Abbott called ahead one evening to let us know he was on his way. The moment they arrived on the property, I knew he had Josef and Gavin with him, but I didn’t think to tell Ajax. I merely told him Abbott had arrived, and it seems the outside security team did the same, so when Ajax opened the door to let Abbott in, he was surprised to see the three of them.
And I was shocked by our werewolf’s reaction.
* * * *
Ajax
I expected Abbott to arrive with Spence, but he had Josef and Gavin with him. My heart fell to my feet and fear made me want to run, but I was glued to the floor. I needed to step to the side and invite them in, but I merely stood like a statue and stared at them.
“You’re fine with all of us one-on-one,” Abbott told me. “What is it about the three of us together that makes you freeze?”
His words pulled me out of it, and I stepped to the side. “Please come in. I’m sorry I was rude. The contractors have fixed the doors and windows, but the upstairs is still a disaster. Everyone’s waiting for us downstairs.”
“Answer the question, Ajax.” Gavin didn’t sound pleased.
“It feels like you’ve come to deliver bad news. All that’s missing is Kendra, and then we’d haveallthe most powerful vampires in one place. That can’t be good.”
Abbott sent soothing energy to me, but I shook it off. “Please, I appreciate the sentiment, Sir, but I should deal with whatever news you’ve come to deliver as my own person.”
The Master Vampire looked sideways at the other vampires. “Interesting.”
I took a breath, walked to the wall with the secret door, and went through the motions to open it and allow them downstairs. I telepathed Kieran as we neared the bottom of the steps, and he opened the door and invited us into the downstairs great room.
“I can open a bottle of wine, if you’d like,” Kieren told our guests. “We can also offer a taste of swan or wolf.”
Ah. That was why they hadn’t fed from us when they rose — they wanted to be able to offer sustenance to visiting guests.
“Some wine would be nice,” Abbott told him. The three guests hugged Kieran and Gwen in greeting, and everyone took a seat. I stood near the door because I was in bodyguard mode.
“Sit with us, Ajax,” Abbott spoke without turning towards me. “No one will come upon us unawares.”
Arguing seemed like a bad idea, so I sat in a chair and tried to look as if I belonged there. My Arabella was leaned against Gwen on a loveseat.
Thankfully, Abbott got right to business. He spoke to Kieran and Gwen though. Not to me.
“Gavin feels it’s time to let Ajax and his wolf spend more time together. Supervised, of course. Based on our young werewolf’s reaction to me upstairs when I tried to soothe him, I agree. However, this brings up some legal issues we need to discuss. He’s bound to me. I hold the leash that keeps his wolf from interfering with his decisions. The two of you have limited access, and this seems to be working out okay.”
He looked to me a second before turning back to Kieran and Gwen. “He’s had access to his wolf’s senses for some time with no problems. If he learns to manage his wolf and I release him, he becomes a lone wolf. I don’t think any of us want him in that position.”
“What are my options?” I asked. I needed to be part of this discussion, and it annoyed me they were talking about me instead of to me, but I didn’t mention it. It’s the way vampires operate.
Abbott answered my question, thankfully.
He lifted his hand and pointed one finger up. “Keep things as they are, which is bound to me because your wolf can’t be let lose.” He added a second finger. “Bound to me as the guards are.” A third finger went up. “Lone wolf, which I’m not inclined to allow.” A fourth finger. “Or join a Pack.”
The Master Vampire rested his hand in his lap again. “The latter two mean you can’t live with any of us. You can visit, but you can’t live with us or be near during daylight hours. You can’t work for us as bodyguard.”
“Unless you’re bound to the Doyles in a romantic relationship with the blood servant component included,” Josef said. “Two vampires and a wolf. If you maintain the power of three and they have access to your thoughts and psyche, you’ll be theirs and they’ll be yours. You can continue to live with them and guard them.” He shrugged. “If you belong to them, you’re still Abbott’s, since they are his. Likewise, what’s yours is theirs, so Arabella will be theirs as well as yours, assuming Sophia allows it.”
