When Jared and I re-joined them, they instantly quieted and turned to face us. Each one of them looked extremely pleased with themselves, despite that technically only one of them had ‘survived’. “The one thing I love about this squad is that it functions like a well-oiled machine.” They almost flushed at my praise. “If in a situation like this you do exactly as Chico said and you stick to what you know, you’ll continue to function this way and you will survive.” I let a mean smile surface on my face. “And you’ll get revenge for Jared and me.”

Denny’s smile matched mine. “Coach, I can assure you that if, by some fluke, someone managed to kill you, they wouldn’t live to tell the tale. That’s a promise.”

Seeing their fierce expressions, I believed them. I just had to hope that it wouldn’t come to that.

(Jared)

Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

The noise was driving me f**king insane. After a long evening of training, I had retreated to the ‘bat pool’ for a little down time while Sam went to one of the cafés with Fletcher. All I’d wanted was to have some time to myself, a little peace and quiet, in the hope of relaxing my hyped-up mind. Despite that I was excited about ascending, I was still nervous at the knowledge that Antonio would be making the announcement tomorrow night. It also served to remind me that my time was running out – I’d need to tell Sam about the vision soon. I could delay it until after the announcement, but it wouldn’t be fair to go through with the Coronation without telling her.

As I’d swum length after length, the tension had begun to leave my body, and my thoughts had stopped running wild. But that had quickly changed when Joy appeared ten minutes ago. She had taken to strutting up and down the side of the pool in a pair of stilettos and not much else. I’d hoped that ignoring her would make her leave, but no such luck. She hadn’t broken stride or ceased to attempt to draw me into conversation. I’d give it five more minutes, I decided. If after that she still

“This again?” a bored and very familiar husky voice asked.

I peered up to see Sam approaching with her head cocked to one side, regarding Joy like she was a freaky yet morbidly intriguing bug. She halted parallel to where I was afloat, but she didn’t move her eyes from Joy.

Fletcher sidled up to Sam, gawking at the sight of Joy. “I take back what I said about her looking like an Azkaban escapee. Right now, she’s making me think of a washed up Playboy Bunny who’s surviving on a diet of paint chips and crack coc**ne.”

It was actually a pretty accurate description. Sure, Joy had the Keja hypnotic allure. But dark emotions like hatred and bitterness had a way of distorting a person’s beauty, even making them look haggard and gaunt.

“I can’t see why it should bother you so much, Sam.” Joy did a slow strut toward her, hands on her hips…or where her h*ps should be. “Unless, of course, you see me as a threat to your bond with Jared…?”

Wearing a deadpan expression, Sam replied in a flat, toneless voice, “Yes, that’s what it is.”

“Or maybe you’re just jealous.” Joy smirked at Sam as she stopped in front of her. “Jealous because you know that I’ve had your mate. That I’ve touched every inch of him. That I’ve had him inside me.”

Scratching her forehead, Sam sighed. “Joy, you might think that gives you some kind of edge, given that your IQ matches that of a vole and your brain works on a different frequency than the rest of us. But, honestly, I actually pity you. Yes, you shook the sheets with Jared a number of times in the past. But come on, it doesn’t make you special because let’s face it, he was a bit of a slut.”

Frowning, I whined, “Hey!” Fletcher gave me a look that said Well you were. I opened my mouth to object, but instead I exhaled a resigned sigh. “Yeah, okay.”

Joy was too focused on Sam to even register that I’d spoken. Her chuckle contained no trace of humour. “Don’t worry; I know that I was only ever a piece of ass to him. I know he doesn’t care about me the way I care about him. But I also know that he’ll never be satisfied with just one woman. He needs more than”

“Yes, so you’ve said before,” said Sam tiredly. “And I’m sure he’ll go running off to you when he realises this. But until that happens, I can let you both live. So why not run along.”

Joy straightened her shoulders. “I’m not scared of you.” Could the woman possibly get any dumber?

A smile slowly spread across Sam’s face. “But you’re scared that I’ll Merge with you again, aren’t you?”

Fear briefly flickered in Joy’s eyes. When Joy had once attacked Sam, my mate had retaliated by launching herself at her…only to instead accidentally Merge her body with Joy’s and completely take her over. It had left Joy drained and disorientated, not to mention pissed that she’d lost control of her own body to Sam.

Not wanting Sam to have to listen to anymore of this shit, I teleported to the sun lounger that I’d claimed, retrieved my towel, and patted myself dry as I came to stand behind her. But my gaze was on Joy. “I’d tell you that I’m not going to leave Sam, but this is something you’re already well aware of. Deep down, you know nothing that you or anyone else does will ever tempt me away from her.”

Joy’s face hardened. “You need more.”

“I have what I need.” It was true.

“We were happy until she came here. You didn’t love me, I know that. I even know that you love her. But it doesn’t change the fact that she’ll never be enough.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not like you would be the only Bound male who has a consort on the side, is it?”

Fletcher tilted his head. “And you would honestly be happy to be someone’s dirty little secret?”

It was clear on her face that no, she wouldn’t be. I knew exactly why she wouldn’t let that be an issue. “You don’t want me, Joy. You want to be the Heir’s consort again. That’s all it is. It was the only reason that you ever wanted me.”

Her eyes flared. “No. I care for you.”

“Then can’t you be happy for him?” asked Sam.

Joy snorted. “Are you really telling me that you would be happy for him if the situation was reversed?”

“Oh there’s no denying that I would want to skin you alive and make a rug out of your flesh, but I’d stay away and let him live his life. I certainly wouldn’t be so pathetic as to hang around him the way you do, trying to lure him back to me.”

“How is it pathetic to remind him of what he’s missing?”

“Don’t you have any pride at all?” Fletcher asked Joy, shaking his head in amazement.

Her eyes alight with hatred, she sneered at him. “Says the one who prances around like a fairy.”

Fletcher seemed more amused than offended. “I’m more of a woman than you’ll ever be.”

Sam chuckled. “He’s got a point, Joy.”

A flush of pure anger crept up her neck and face. “It might not be me that Jared comes to when he finally realises what he really needs, but he will turn away from you at some point. You’d be a fool to doubt that.” Then, in vampire speed, she disappeared.

Fletcher swerved to look at me. “The crank truly believes that, doesn’t she?”

Chuckling again, Sam answered for me. “Of course she does. I know it seems weird, but think about it from her neurotic point of view. Jared didn’t just have her as a consort; he had two others as well. Joy probably wasn’t too happy about it. Then there’s the fact that, even with three consorts, he still bonked other females when the mood struck him. Her mind had two choices: believe that she wasn’t what he needed because she lacked somehow and he didn’t care at all for her, or believe that he was simply someone who needed more than one woman and it didn’t reflect on her whatsoever, that he might even care for her. She convinced herself of the latter, because it suited her to believe that. It made the situation not hurt so much.”

“So seeing him Bound and committed to someone else threatens her illusion,” deduced Fletcher. “If she accepted that you’re all he needs, she’d have to accept that what she’s always believed in the cause of emotional self-preservation is untrue.”

Sam nodded. “And who would want to accept that the person they care about has never cared about them? It would certainly piss me the f**k off.”

It would piss me off, too. I’d want to know what the f**king point was in finding and caring for this person so much if they would never feel the same. To then have that person leave me for someone else and be so happy with them – happy enough to join with them for life – would be the final twist of the knife. Wanting to fend off the dark feelings threatening to surface at just the idea of that, I slipped my arm around Sam to pull her close. Okay, so I could feel a teensy bit sorry for Joy, just as I did for Cristiano. But I still believed that my being Heir was what interested Joy the most.

Fletcher shrugged, as if to shake off the matter. “Well, it’s been a long night. I’m off to find Norm.” He gave Sam a brief hug, offered me a shy wave, and then left us alone.

Sam raised her gaze to mine. “Did the swim help? I know something’s on your mind, but I’m not going to ask what it is. Tell me in your own time…just don’t take too long.”

Appreciating that she wasn’t pushing, I kissed her gently. “We’ll talk about it soon,” I promised. “You know, you’ve impressed me. My holding back is annoying the shit out of you – I can sense it. Usually when I piss you off in some way, you retaliate with that whip of yours. But you’ve contained yourself.”

She placed her hands on my chest. Her smile dripped with pity. “Aw, Jared, whatever made you think I was going to contain myself?” She shoved hard – so hard that I went zooming backwards and landed in the pool.

Kicking to the surface, I coughed up the mouthful of water that had clogged my throat and glowered at my mate. Appearing rather self-satisfied, she folded her arms. I shook my head at her. “You know you’re a bitch, right?”

She smiled. “It’s part of why you love me.”

I had to smile back. She was right, it was.

Chapter Fifteen

(Sam)

Just as I had yesterday evening, I fiddled with the sleeves of my white shirt as I stood in my bedroom, scowling at my reflection in the mirror. Just as he had yesterday evening, Fletcher slapped at my hands. “Oi,” I whined.

“Stop fussing before you rip the bloody sleeves at the hem.”

“You stop fussing before I clock you over the head.” If I could help it, I’d never wear a suit again.

Jared entered the bedroom, totally edible in a grey shirt and black trousers. Unsurprisingly, Fletcher gawked in admiration, and I didn’t blame him. The sod could pull off just about any look. I was totally envious.

Jared’s brows rose. “Wow, you look”

“Don’t,” I bit out.

He sighed. “I was going to”

“Give me a false compliment because you know I feel awkward,” I finished.

He shot me an impatient stare. “Actually, it wouldn’t have been a false one. You look”

“Don’t.”

He threw his hands up in a gesture of exasperation. “Here I am pushing past my difficulty with giving compliments, and you’re shutting me down. You’re never going to learn to accept one, are you?”

“Then why keep doing it?”

He grunted, sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me against him. “You ready?” When I nodded, he added, “I don’t just mean physically.” He gently tapped my temple. “I mean, are you mentally ready for this?”

Having the uncharacteristic need to fidget and keep my hands busy, I adjusted his collar and smoothed my hands over the arms of his shirt. “About as ready as I can be.” But there was a nervous tremor to my voice.

Cupping my chin, he lifted my head so that he could meet my eyes. His own eyes were shining with adoration and reassurance. “You’ll be fine.” He dropped a kiss on my mouth and then went to say more, but stopped at the knock on the door. Fletcher dashed out of the room to answer it, and quickly returned with Evan and Alora.

Alora smiled at me. “Hey, you look”

“I wouldn’t bother if I were you,” mumbled Fletcher. “She’ll only accuse you of lying to try and make her feel better.”

Knowing me well, Evan didn’t comment on my appearance. “Nervous?”

“Of course I’m not,” I said with a forced smile. But, as I said, he knew me well; he wasn’t buying my act. But rather than make a big thing out of it, he simply offered me a supportive smile.

Jared tightened his hold on me as he asked Evan, “What brings you guys here?”

“Just wanted to check on you both and, you know…do that whole ‘moral support’ thing.”

I rolled my eyes. “You mean Alora made you come.”

Evan’s expression was pure innocence. “No, I do have a sensitive side, you know.” Then it was Alora’s turn to roll her eyes. “Off the subject, I’ve just met that Covington guy who had recommended you find Paige West. He’s here with Bran and Paige’s Sire, Robert Langley.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. Bran was a regular visitor, but the others weren’t. “Have they asked about Paige?”

“Langley was asking where she was, but Antonio just said that she healed the tainted vampires and then left. Bran wasn’t interested. He only came here to see Alora. She invited him.”