Summer was brutal. Hot and dry, and it seemed everyone was on edge. Abbott moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, and he expected us to follow. Kendra was now the Master Vampire of eight states. She’d stay until Eric was ready to move with her.
Gwen and Kieran negotiated to follow in the spring. One more winter in the South before we moved to the frigid north.
Abbott flew me and Arabella up to see the city, and to look at houses. They were built for vampires and weren’t officially on the market. Not until Abbott’s people had a chance to buy them first.
In a nutshell, once I chose a house, Abbott purchased it in my name. It was big enough for the four of us. We’d be living in a house I owned.
“What if Queen Sophia doesn’t give me Arabella in January? I can’t leave without her!”
“We’ll discuss that if it happens. In truth, if she takes your swanling from you, it will be final. A complete break. You won’t see her anymore. You have to know this.”
I did. I hadn’t wanted to face it, but I’d known, deep down.
“I intend to use your home to host visiting vampires while it’s empty. Get with Matty and show him pictures. If you need me to fly the two of you up, that’s fine. I’d like it to be furnished in six weeks.”
Needless to say, the following six weeks seemed to fly by in about ten days. We made Abbott’s deadline for all but one room, which took another two weeks to have the furniture delivered. Abbott wasn’t pleased, but he didn’t exact consequences.
And his name changed when he moved. He was now Alexander King, though he went by Xander, pronouncedZander. When Gwen and Kieran moved, their names would change as well. For the first time, I considered asking for a vampire mind trick to help me with the changes, because I couldn’t imagine calling them by different names.
September came, and Queen Sophia came to our home for our visit. Arabella had been stressed about cooking for her Queen, so I’d had it catered by a restaurant I knew would do an excellent job. Dinner went well, and Queen Sophia seemed pleased, but she didn’t mention handing her swan over to me.
Was she waiting for Arabella to grow a spine and say she’d have a relationship with whoever she wished, as other swans were allowed to do, or was Her Majesty waiting for something from me? I didn’t know.
Meanwhile, Josef came at least once a week, and often twice a week, to let my wolf loose. On one occasion, he released the leash completely for our spar, and he came at me in ways that should’ve had mechanging, but I held on.
I was terrified I’d lose control, though, and he said it wasn’t just about maintaining form, but in having the confidence I could pull it off. He said this wasn’t to be seen as a failure, but part of the journey, and he assured me I’d have more opportunities to prove I was capable of managing my wolf without help.
The fall colors arrived, and I ran through the brilliant forest as a wolf, taking in the energy of the change of seasons.
For Halloween, Arabella and I dressed as vampires, and our vampires dressed as werewolves. We went to a party at TBC.The front porte-cochere had been replaced after the huge reptile monsters destroyed it during one of the smaller battles leading up to the big battle. It was nicer than the original one, but it reminded me of what we’d been through, and what had started our foursome.
And that we may only have another two months together.
The evening after Halloween, our vampires discovered Arabella and I had never trimmed a Christmas tree, sang carols, or wrapped a present.
Or received a present.
I’d quit my job with the security company a few weeks before Thanksgiving the year before, and had been sent for specific training so I’d have the right certifications to be a bodyguard on my own when not affiliated with another company. I’d been given to the Doyles on Christmas Day, though I hadn’t moved in until January. Everything had happened so fast, I’d barely noticed the holidays.
As for Arabella.Well. Christmas doesn’t exist for slaves. Not as anything except more work for the house and yard slaves, anyway. This was also the reason I’d never considered the holiday as having anything to do with me. Slaves can’t give or receive gifts, since we can’t own anything.
When Gwen tried to explain why the holiday was important, I didn’t understand. She tried to look through my head for memories of Christmases before I was abducted, but either they weren’t there, or she didn’t like what she saw.
I decided not to ask which was the case.
Chapter Thirty
Gwen
Arabella was like a small child with the Christmas preparations. Ajax was reserved, but I knew when something went straight to his heart. No matter what physical presents he received, he’d already been given the thing he’d most wanted in his life.
Family. Inclusion. Belonging.
He’d thought, for a while, he might want to join the bikers. That wasn’t a possibility for him yet, but I had a feeling it would be before the next Christmas. He and his wolf were in sync. It was just a matter of time before Abbott fully released him. I no longer worried about Ajax joining the RTMC, though. Perhaps if Arabella hadn’t come to us, he might have. He’d needed a warm-blooded family member in the house, and he’d needed to be in control sometimes.
But not all the time.
The bikers would need him toalwaysbe in control. Kieran and I could give him some time off, when we made the decisions. Time when Kieran drove the bus, and Ajax only needed to follow orders and hold onto his orgasm until he had permission to find release.
