Forever Touched (Touch of Vampire #5)

CHAPTER 11

11

ADALYN

Despite my resolve not to let him fluster me, having the vampire king inches from my face was terrifying.

He’d used his supernatural speed to catch me unaware, which had clearly been his intention. I flinched at his closeness but didn’t jerk back. As much as I wanted to, retreating would be a sign of weakness, and I definitely couldn’t afford to look weak right now.

“Well, hello there,” he said, his voice almost a croon. “I’m King Ambrose, which I’m guessing you already know. And you are?”

I struggled to swallow as I stared into his garnet-colored eyes. Eyes that regarded me with open curiosity. “Star.”

He tilted his head, those penetrating eyes slightly narrowing. “Just Star?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He studied me for an unbearable moment before saying, “Well, here’s the thing, Star .” He said it as if all too aware that Star was my stage name. “I want to know what you’ve done to my son. He’s never taken an interest in a witch before. Not sexually, anyway. Did you enchant him with a spell?”

Whoa. Not even I was ready for that one. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. When all I did was gape like a fish, he whipped a hand up and caught my chin.

“What. Have you done. To my son?” he slowly enunciated, his eyes boring into mine .

Fear spiked through my calm facade. I waited for the pull to suck the words from my mouth, but it never came. He couldn’t thrall me. Not with his son’s blood fresh in my system.

“Don’t touch her!” Everett suddenly snapped. He was at my side in a flash, ripping me away from his father. His arms banded around me like a shield, trembling with barely-restrained fury.

Shocked senseless, I didn’t even think about pulling away. And I wasn’t the only shocked one. The king’s mouth fell open as he took in his son’s anger. He looked between the two of us for several moments, and then his expression filled with sudden understanding.

“Oh, I see.”

“See what? ” Everett hissed, holding me so tightly that my ribs ached.

The king watched his son for a moment longer, then quietly said, “She’s your soulmate. It’s why you brought her home instead of hiding her away.”

Every line of Everett’s body stretched taut. I didn’t react, certain I’d heard wrong. Did he just say soulmate?

“No. That’s impossible.” Everett vehemently shook his head. “I’ve had sex with her. Twice .” I winced at how dirty he made it sound. “I would know by now if I shared a bond with her. I haven’t felt her emotions and there’s been no telepathic connection.”

I didn’t say anything, and yet, the king’s attention abruptly swung to me. “You know something. What is it?”

I gawked at him, about to deny knowing anything, but a sudden memory came to me. I swallowed, certain I was going to be sick. “This morning when I was attacked, he said he heard me scream. It’s how he knew I was in trouble. Only . . . I didn’t scream. Not out loud anyway.”

Everett jerked against me, like he’d just been shot. When his arms tightened painfully, I made a small sound. He let go of me and leapt back as if he’d just been burned.

“Lochlan, escort Miss Star to a room on the third floor,” King Ambrose said. “Everett is in no condition to do so.”

As Everett’s brother moved forward, Everett whirled toward him with a growl. Loch slowed, holding his hands up. “It’s okay, Ev. I won’t touch her.”

That didn’t seem to appease him. He reached for me again, but I quickly evaded his hands, suddenly needing space. Lots of it. “Actually,” I began, deciding to address the king, “I need to head home. My . . . my family will be worried that I didn’t come back this morning, and I can’t find my phone.”

Everett reached for me again. “You’re not going anywhere, Star—”

“ Everett .”

The crown prince drew up short, just shy of touching me. Curling his hands into fists, he dropped them and faced his father.

“Miss Star will not be held prisoner in our home. We have no grounds to keep her here, and you heard what she said. Her family is worried. Now, let your brother take her home. We need to talk.”

Everett’s fists began to tremble. He looked ready to explode, and I braced myself for whatever violence was about to unfold. But, after a lengthy moment, his trembling ceased and he slowly unclenched his fists.

“Take her,” he gruffly said, jerking his chin at his brother. “But don’t—”

“Touch her. I know,” Loch interrupted quietly. “You have my word.”

As Loch gestured for me to follow him, I took a tentative step forward .

“Don’t be afraid, Miss Star,” King Ambrose said. “Everett won’t try to stop you again.”

I paused to glance back at the king and say, “I’m not afraid. I just don’t want him to break all my ribs.”

He stared at me for a moment, then burst out laughing. Clutching his stomach, he wagged a finger at me and said, “I’m starting to like you, young lady. I really hope you don’t prove to be a disappointment.”

He kept on laughing, but I felt the threat deep in my bones. He was going to keep an eye on me. And now that I was on his radar, I didn’t know how much longer I could hide my true identity—not to mention the truth about my shady nightclub job.

Loch and I managed to leave the castle without incident, but I could practically feel Everett’s restless energy as I left the building. What if it was true? What if we were really . . . soulmates?

I knew little about the soulmate bond, only that it was more powerful than a witch’s bond with their familiar. I couldn’t imagine feeling closer to someone than I did with Pepper. She was literally a part of me, a piece of her celestial spirit now mine. It was the price all spirits had to pay if they chose to inhabit the earthly plane, be they angel or demon. Many spirits that made the sacrifice chose not to seek out the mortal who now owned a sliver of their essence, but my familiar had found me when I was just a child. I didn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been in my life.

Besides my dad and the school for witches I’d attended, she’d helped me learn how to harness my Oracle magic. It had originally been hers, after all. I’d brought her with me that terrible night six years ago, another huge mistake I’d made. If I hadn’t, she could have moved on to discover a better life for herself instead of being cooped up in a dank basement.

This world wasn’t safe for a mouse familiar. Her celestial spirit was powerful, and so was her magic, but her tiny body wasn’t. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to her.

An uncomfortable silence settled over us as Everett’s brother drove me from the castle. I’d thought Everett was quiet, but his brother was even more so. Deciding that idle chit chat would just be a waste of energy, I sank into the seat of the expensive black Lexus and enjoyed the view. The six-story limestone castle was situated on the west side of the island, surrounded by thick forest and rocky coastline. The road we were on was smooth, lazily winding through pine trees and majestic oaks.

After a few minutes, I rolled down my window to enjoy the experience more fully, inhaling the salty air rich with flora and fauna. Loch looked over at me but didn’t say a word, which I was slowly starting to appreciate. It almost felt like he understood how overwhelmed I was and that silence would help me process it all. When it became clear that he had no intention of touching me, I allowed myself to relax, if only a little.

We were nearing the gated bridge, the only entrance and exit to the island, when I finally broke the silence. “If you could drop me off at Dreamscape Lounge, that would be great. My car is still parked there, and I need to find my phone. My family is probably worried sick.”

He nodded, easily accepting my explanation as truth. He had no reason to suspect otherwise.

Half an hour later, my stomach broke the silence again. As it loudly growled, I peeked at Everett’s brother. A faint smirk tilted his lips, but he didn’t say a word. When we neared Bangor, though, he veered off the main road. Realizing where he was going, I struggled to keep my jaw from dropping.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think a vampire prince would visit a fast food drive-thru.

He waited for me to order, then ordered a burger for himself.

“You eat food?” I blurted before I could think better of it. Apparently, the thought of filling my belly had loosened my tongue.

“Occasionally,” he replied, speaking to me for the first time. “I only enjoy savory foods, though. Anything sweet tastes gross to me.”

He handed me the large milkshake I’d ordered with a small grimace. I couldn’t quite smother a laugh.

“Thank you for this. You didn’t have to,” I said, taking a large gulp of my drink. I swallowed a moan as the cold liquid deliciously slid down my throat.

“I wanted to,” was all he said, pulling onto the highway again.

The greasy food more than hit the spot, and I gobbled it down faster than was appropriate. When I caught him side-eyeing me, I quickly wiped my mouth with a napkin and said, “Almost being drained makes you super hungry, I guess.”

Something like sympathy flickered in his dark eyes, which made me feel all sorts of confused. Why was he being so nice to me? Of all the vampires in the world, he should hate witches the most. Even more than Everett.

As if he knew where my thoughts had strayed, he quietly said, “My wife is a witch. She would have loved to meet you today, but she’s having a girls’ weekend with her best friend Isla. Her husband, Kade, came over to help with the twins. He and Isla often reside in Rosewood because of her job. They have a lakehouse there, newly remodeled so Isla can enjoy seeing the sun without getting hurt. She’s a Feltore, by the way.”

Overwhelmed by the influx of information he’d just shared, I focused on the most surprising tidbit. “Your wife is a witch? I heard the stories about her many years ago from my dad. I thought she was turned.”

“She was, but the bond she shares with me and her familiar transformed her into a half witch, half vampire hybrid.”

My jaw did drop this time. “My dad didn’t mention that part. I didn’t know something like that was possible.”

“Neither did I. But since meeting McKenna, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. To embrace the impossible. I definitely didn’t anticipate fate giving me a witch for a soulmate.”

I blinked at him, certain I’d heard wrong. “You’re soulmates?”

His mouth curved into a soft smile. “Yes. And it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Hearing how genuine he sounded, sudden pain squeezed my chest. I could tell that he loved her. Truly loved her. I couldn’t imagine finding love like that. Wouldn’t even dare dream that it was possible. I recalled the intimate moments I’d shared with Everett, and the pain increased tenfold.

That wasn’t love. What we shared had been purely lust, nothing more.

Bitterness coated my next question. “Does your brother hate her?”

Loch flicked me another glance. “At first. He worried that McKenna would hurt me. He’s been overprotective ever since . . .”

“I know,” I said, not needing him to finish. “I’ve heard the stories about the Syphon witch who kept a vampire prince as her personal blood slave.”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. Shockingly, I felt a pang of empathy for him. My own situation wasn’t much different, not that I could tell him that.

“And then your brother went on a killing spree, murdering hundreds of innocent witches and warlocks,” I added, needing to remind myself who the true victims were. If it wasn’t for Everett, my life would be very different. He’d ruined it even before I was born.

Remembering that I’d slept with him, even after knowing who he was, my stomach soured.

Surprisingly, Loch didn’t immediately come to his brother’s defense. I’d expected him to be angry at my accusing tone, but he only sighed and said, “What Everett did was wrong. We both made terrible mistakes after I was abducted, and we lost our younger brother in the process. Everett has changed since then, but he’s still haunted by the past. It doesn’t excuse his poor behavior, but maybe this will help you understand him a little better. If you two really are soulmates, I believe he’ll come around, just like he did with McKenna. He might be bullheaded, but he’s also fiercely protective of his family and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe.”

I didn’t respond, struggling to process all that he’d said. He wasn’t supposed to sound remorseful . Wasn’t supposed to be a decent person who admitted his mistakes and had changed for the better. How was I supposed to hate the royal family now? How was I supposed to hate Everett?

And, more importantly, how was I supposed to follow through with my plan for revenge?