Aerys
I urgently needed to return home, but I couldn't leave without Elizabeth.
My mate had been skillfully evading any one-on-one interactions with me. But this time, I managed to corner her alone at the minibar.
" Do you want something in particular?" she asked, not turning to me as she rummaged through the whiskey selection.
" No, I just wanted us to talk," I told her. She exhaled and looked at me.
" I already told you, Aerys. I'm not going home with you," she emphasized.
" I can't leave you here," I told her. I know I fucked up badly, but I was sorry.
" I know I fucked up with you,"
" I understand it was hard for you. I just wished you believed me," Elizabeth smiled once she found the bottle she sought.
" My brother, Egon, got this bottle from an emperor in China. 1900," She shared.
" Elizabeth, I know you still love me," I could sense her love for me in how she looked at me and her heart reacted.
" That's bold of you to say to another alpha's woman," she sneered, and I growled. I hated that she brought up Chuck in every conversation. I pulled her to me by the waist.
" Don't say that. You're not his; you're mine, Elizabeth, Mine," I growled. Our faces were close, and we were breathing heavily. My lycan took over and crashed my lips on hers. I moved against her while she stilled, holding her breath. I bit her lower lip, and softly, she opened up. Our lips moved softly in sync. My heart was filled with how much I loved this woman. I pulled her closer to me, exploring every part of her mouth. I missed her so fucking much. Elizabeth was my everything. I know I fucked up, but I wanted her forgiveness.
She suddenly pulled away from me and took a step back. She was shocked by her action, and tears danced in her eyes.
" Eliza-"
" Don't do that again, ever. I'm with Chuck, and I want it to work," she said, turning and walking away. I ran a hand through my hair just as my phone rang. It was my father I picked up.
" Hello,"
After we exchanged pleasantries, he said,
" Aerys, you are needed at the company. What is taking so long there?"
" Elizabeth is here, Dad," there was silence on the phone, but he was still there.
" Oh, and ?"
" I'm coming home with her. I don't care what anyone says. She's innocent," I said firmly. My father sighed.
" Iris has these vivid dreams of Elizabeth where she saves her from another vampire," he informed me. I squinted my eyes.
" That's odd. It may be because Iris misses her," I knew Elizabeth got close with my siblings while she stayed at the manor.
" Selena did a spell to help her sleep better, but she said Iris was compelled to forget something,"
" The day she went missing," I whispered. I took a step back involuntarily.
" I'll confront Elizabeth to see if it's true," I told him and ended the call. My gaze went to Elizabeth. She was in the living area with my friends, playing card games. Could it be that Iris was indeed compelled to forget? But why? If she saved Iris in any way, why would she want to keep it a secret?
' Confront her. I need to know the truth,' Aire said; he was worried.
' She wouldn't just admit it,'
' Then tell her you to know,' he suggested. I nodded and went to them. My gaze stuck on Elizabeth. She dropped the cards on the table and looked up at me.
" Why are you staring at me like that?"
" Why did you compel Iris to forget?"
Elizabeth paled after my question and blinked several times. Her mouth opened, but she didn't speak.
" I- Iris?"
" Have you compelled more than one of my siblings?"
' So, she did compel her,' Aire confirmed.
" What's going on?" Tonga asked gently. Elizabeth was waiting for me to answer, eyeing me, but I wasn't. I wanted her to confess.
" Ask her,"
Everyone turned to my mate. She breathed in and out.
" Damn, Zephyr," she murmured.
" Elizabeth, why would you compel Iris?" Alec asked.
" I—I." Elizabeth failed to speak. " I didn't have bad intentions, I swear," she finally said, and I sighed, sitting across from her.
" Iris saw me kill vampires when we were escaping Princeton, and I wanted her to forget,"
" But why were we escaping Princeton? Isn't he like your fiance?" Coswell asked, and I growled.
" Look, what I said was the truth. My parents wanted me to marry Princeton, but I refused. That's why I left the clan. Years later, Princeton finds me and fabricates evidence against me to turn you all against me. He thought I'd go with him, but I refused. So, he kidnapped Iris." Elizabeth told us everything that happened, and I loathed myself more for what I did to her. I was emotional, and my lycan was whimpering.
" If Iris started to get glimpses of what happened, it only means my brother, Zephyr, put a timeline to her compulsion. That idiot," she sighed, getting up and grabbing the phone to call her brother.
Elizabeth protected my sister and went to the man she hated to save her. I was a fool, a bloody fool.
" Elizabeth was telling the truth. I knew it. I said it!" Tonga beamed.
" Zephyr, she is a child; you must compel her again!" I heard Elizabeth yell over the phone. Her brother, the man she was talking to, was relatively calm.
" Fine, I just wanted them to know what happened sooner or later, and now they do. I did it for you, sister,"
" Don't fucking do anything for me again!"
" Oh, Eliza is cursing me. I must have annoyed you,"
She walked back in with a slight smile on her face.
" My brother will compel her to forget again, this time for good," she smiled softly. I stood up and took her hands in mine before kissing her forehead. I hated that she moved away from me.
"Thank you for what you did for Iris," I told her. She only nodded, ignoring the tears in her eyes.
" I think it's getting late now. You all should leave," she said quietly. I frowned. I didn't want to leave yet; I wanted to spend more time with her.
" Elizabeth, go home with me," I told her.
" To do what? Everyone hates me," she said, pain lacing her words.
" I'll tell them the truth; no one will hurt you," I assured her.
" I'm not going with you, Aerys," she was solemn. I shared a glance with Alec, who only nodded.
' She needs time,' he said through the mind link.
' We need to go back tomorrow,' I told him. We were hosting the alpha of the New Moon pack and several others.
' Then you'll just have to come back next time,' I couldn't leave her here. I wasn't. I was sure once Chuck learned of my connection to her. He wouldn't allow me in his territory on unofficial business.
Elizabeth hugged Tonga, Coswell, and Alec and said good night. Then she turned to me and looked me in the eye.
"Goodbye, Aerys,"
I pulled her in my arms, and she relaxed, inhaling my scent. She had been hugging me for the last time. When she pulled away, I put my hands gently on her neck.
"Forgive me for this," I said and gently broke her neck, sending her to a deep sleep. The guys gasped, and Tonga yelped.
" Relax, she's a vampire and will wake," I told them.
" No, what are you doing!" screams Tonga, panicking. I carried Elizabeth's bridal style in my arms and kissed her forehead.
" Taking my mate home. Alec, grab her rooster," I ordered.
" Aerys, she's going to be mad, and I won't be part of this kidnapping," Tonga said, going to the car outside. I know she would freak out, but what choice did I have? Leave her here with Chuck? No fucking way. My lycan was in support of my decision.
Alec was back with the big bird, frowning. Coswell just looked excited.
" We are leaving now,"
I got her phone from the table and turned it off.
" You know this is war with Chuck, right?" Alec said, looking intently at me.
" I'm ready to risk it all. Besides, Arrow is no match against me," I told him cockily. He shrugged and followed behind as I left.
I got in the black SUV and placed Elizabeth on my lap. We all got in the car except Coswell, who needed to go to his mate. He had to complete formalities with the Arrow family before going home with his mate.